Golem
by Mslead-Kytrin
Summary: He was known as END. The greatest demon weapon ever created. A soulless abomination that obeyed his master's every command until he inexplicably vanished. Four hundred years of death and war reigned in his absence until he was found again by the other side. By the only person who would see beyond the shell, to the heart of the Golem. NALU
1. Golem

_Welcome everyone to another collaboration between Kytrin and Mslead! It's been a while, but we've been busy writing ahead. I know everyone was expecting us to come out with Mythos before a new fic, and while that one is finished, it needs heavy editing. So in the meantime, we present you with GOLEM! It's over halfway completed, so you will have your regular updates the same way you had them with our previous story!_

 _Speaking of which, hopefully you have stuck around from our previous story 'Parallels,' but if you're a new reader I'll tell you the breakdown on how we run things! New chapters happen ** once every two days! **You can count on regular updates from us, as Golem so far has 24 chapters! It's shaping up to be a big one like our last fic! So I hope you'll stay with us for the ride!_

 _ **Disclaimer: We don't own Fairy Tail or the characters seen in this fic.**_

 _ **UPDATES ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 1**_

 _ **Golem**_

 _Jewish Folklore. a figure artificially constructed in the form of a human being and endowed with life.  
_

 _They obey the every whim and command of those who give them life._

* * *

Lucy had no idea how she'd found herself in her current situation, but she was not pleased. She was a Rune Knight not an Archaeologist! How had she somehow gotten saddled with poking through dusty, moldy, old ruins in the middle of the monster and demon infested wilderness? Sure, she liked history and ancient cultures, but she generally preferred to confine her interest to books and museum trips or relics already discovered.

"Lu look!" An excited voice cried out a few feet away.

Oh yeah. That was how.

Her best friend, and fellow Rune Knight, was a historian as well as a script mage. And there was no deterring Levy once she started chasing a lead on something. A fact that was as well known as Levy's ability to melt people's brains within the first five sentences.

Which was perversely how they'd become friends in the first place, and how she'd been assigned to watch Levy's back during the expedition.

No one else would do it. The cowards.

She shook her head a little, her irritation fading as she headed over to join her friend, "What did you find?" She asked with genuine interest.

It was very hard for her to remain annoyed when Levy was so excited about something. It was infectious.

"If I'm reading the glyphs correctly, it's a protective seal!" Levy replied excitedly, "Or at least it was supposed to be. The magic's worn out or we'd see the magic circle too. But Lu it's the exact same style as the seals Zeref favored! I'm certain of it!"

Now _that_ got Lucy's attention.

Zeref had been an incredibly dark wizard over four hundred years in the past. He was legendary for his ability to both inspire fear and achieve pinnacles of magic no one had ever achieved before or since. To this day some even still feared and revered him as a god. It was all nonsense as far as Lucy was concerned though.

To worship a single man as a god? Especially one as terrible as Zeref had been was unthinkable to her.

But then again, she was a human still alive in a world being torn apart by demons. The demons created by Zeref.

As a consequence, it was hard for her to shake off her animosity towards them. Magic Knights struggled day in and day out on the front lines to crush the demons that laid their planet to waste and inched towards human settlements.

Nothing they did could stop the demons, even their most powerful wizards were unable to stop the steady ascent the monsters took towards claiming their cities and towns. At best, they were able to slow them down. If they were lucky.

But it was always a battle, even within the safety of the walls. Not everyone appreciated what the Magical and Rune Knights fought and died for, and more than one otherwise promising wizard had turned to a life of crime when humanity could least afford it.

Lucy scowled at the thought of the magical insurgents that had sprung up in her very own city. She hated them and what they represented. They chipped away at the control of the Magic Council and formed discontent and rebellion. They had no interest in anyone or anything other than their own selfish gain,and Lucy hated that they existed in such hard times. Unfortunately, there were always people who would try to take advantage.

"Lu?" Levy's voice floated back to Lucy, grounding her back down to reality.

"Ah, sorry-" Lucy's cheeks flushed, her animosity fading for the time being, "I didn't mean to float off there."

Levy smiled at her, her cheeks puffing out, "Come on and help me open this thing!"

Lucy grinned and moved to the other side of the seal, "Alright, on the count of three? One... two... three!"

They both pushed at the seal top with all their might, and slowly, inch by painstaking inch, it ground away until an opening just large enough for them to squeeze through appeared.

"Let's hope we don't need to deal with any more of those." Lucy panted, shaking her arms tiredly, "Seriously. What could Zeref have hidden here that required a three foot thick slab of stone and magical protections?"

"I'm not sure." Levy replied as she caught her breath and pulled out a couple of flashlights, "But let's be careful from here on in Lu. The damage to the inscribed array on the outside was what made the shield fail. There's no telling if any of the other traps still work."

Lucy frowned a little and nodded, "Yeah. Good point. It may be a good thing we're here and not a normal team after all." She huffed a bit, "Not that a normal team would've made it past the demons anyway."

"The demons can't be everywhere." Levy replied with a small smile as she squeezed through, "And while the high level ones are a problem the low level ones can be dealt with by average powered wizards. There aren't that many high level demons anyway. They just seem like a lot more because of all the destruction they cause."

Lucy cocked her head slightly as she squeezed past the seal with her friend, "I never really thought about it like that." She admitted, "But even so, it's still dangerous."

"Maybe." Levy grinned, the light from her flashlight making it look somewhat sinister, "But what I mean is for some people the potential reward is worth the risk."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Alright, you've made your point. It's still better we're the ones out here than a normal team. All the stories say Zeref was really good at putting up nasty surprises. I wouldn't want to risk that on non-magical people."

"No argument from me!" Levy laughed as they cautiously crept further down the tunnel.

The earth rumbled around them menacingly, and Lucy held still as the ominous shower of small stones and dust rained down from the cave ceiling.

"Can we get a little more light in here Levy?" Lucy whispered, the hushed tone bouncing off the echoing walls. As much as she would have loved to linger around this area, she wasn't sure how this place would continue to stand.

Moving the entrance slab seemed to have upset the foundation of the place, and Lucy was not at all inclined to wait for the roof to fall down around their heads. There was only so much they would be able to do even with their magic if that happened.

"Sure Lu," Levy's voice came near Lucy's elbow, and with a few swipes of her sparkling fingertips, the word 'LIGHT' glowed in the air around them.

The magical script floated above their heads and illuminated a back wall.

The room as a whole seemed very small. There wasn't much in there aside from an ornately decorated wall. Oddly enough, the one directly in front of them was patterned differently from the walls nearby, as if it were a door of some sort.

Lucy crept close to it, squinting against the darkness as she tried to read the text. It was indistinguishable squiggles to her eyes but she knew Levy would be able to read it.

Her hand flattened down against the ancient text, while Levy floated in behind her, the light following and shining down on the crumbling wall.

"This is old," Levy breathed in awe, "the text is amazing, and it's definite proof this was made by Zeref!"

Curious, Lucy dragged her fingers over the carvings in the wall, oddly fascinated by the images of dragons and wizards fighting in the reliefs.

"What makes you say that?" Lucy asked, not understanding what Levy seemed to see so easily.

Sometimes it frustrated her that her friend was so clever. But Levy had a tendency to blow people away with her fast chatter.

Even Lucy, who stood a better chance than most sometimes got completely lost by her rambunctious friend.

Thankfully Levy was always patient enough to explain her findings, and often seemed to relish in the ability to share her knowledge. A fact Lucy always found welcome.

"Do you see this?" Levy pointed over Lucy's shoulder, "The inscriptions here refer to 'the dragons END,' but the way it's spelled can only be meant for-"

"The weapon, END," Lucy clarified, her eyes growing wide at the revelation.

Everyone knew of END and its mysterious decommission. It was like the boogeyman of humans, responsible for tipping the scales which began to drive their world to ruin.

END, the most power of all Zeref's demons. The weapon to end them all.

"What's it say?" Lucy asked, her attention now fully captured.

"Hmmmm..." Levy mused as she studied the inscription carefully.

 _"When light and darkness become flesh and bone,"_

 _"The empty body a life to own."_

 _"My magic a spark to feed the demand,"_

 _"The Golem within mine to command."_

"What does that-?" Lucy started only to gasp in shock as a powerful magical surge pulsed from under her fingertips. She tried to move her hand back, but found it would not budge from its position over the door.

"Levy!" She yelped, tugging at her wrist, "I can't move my hand!"

Levy's eyes widened as she leapt to her friend's side and tried to help her, but her hand was stuck fast. Fiery scrawl crawled all around them, too numerous for Levy to have any hope of making sense of all of it, until the entire chamber was covered and a magic circle appeared under Lucy's feet.

Levy let out a yelp of her own as it zapped her with a crackle of energy and hastily leapt out of the way.

"Levy!" Lucy cried, panic creeping into her voice, "What's going on?!"

"Hang on Lu!" Levy replied as she looked around desperately, "I'm trying to-"

She was cut off as a flash of bright light flared up all around Lucy and then suddenly it was over.

The red script and the magic circle vanished as if they'd never been, and Lucy's hand was free as her knees buckled.

"Lucy!" She exclaimed, rushing back over, "Are you alright?"

"I think so..." Lucy panted tiredly, "But I feel like I just ran a marathon."

Levy helped to support Lucy, holding her arms up and steadying her shoulders, "I don't know what happened, but it seems like whatever spell that was siphoned off some of your magic!"

" _Some_?" Lucy whined around a smile, "I feel like it almost bled me dry!"

"Oh good, you're whining - at least now I know you'll survive," Levy teased.

Lucy aimed to stick her tongue out at her friend, but froze when the inscriptions began to glow again. Both women recoiled from the door, shielding their heads when it slowly began to draw upwards.

A rumbling echoed overhead, dust trickling down to coat their hair with small debris.

The door moved, opening up wider and wider, showing a shallow recess behind it. A small space, barely large enough for a person to squeeze into.

And that was exactly what was on the other side of the door.

A man, covered in dust, stood in front of them, his eyes creaking open into tired slits.

Black, inky spirals tattooed his skin, sliding over his shoulders and down his arms. Lucy could see peeks of the ink along his sides and drawing down his hips.

The ink disappeared into his torn pants. They were held up by a sash that looked more moth eaten than fabric, and Lucy swallowed hard when he took one stumbling step forward.

His legs buckled, and he dropped down to a knee in front of Lucy, his steps unsteady and faltering.

Lucy gasped and managed to lift her hands up to settle on his broad shoulders. from her fresh angle, she was able to determine the man's hair was a strange shade of pink under all the dirt.

The man's shoulders tensed at her light touch, and she jumped back in surprise when he looked up suddenly and growled at her.

"Is that...?" Levy started only to jump herself when the man turned to look at her and the growl increased. Though he didn't make any effort to move.

"Oh my gods!" Levy breathed in wonder, "It's really END! We found him!" She looked over at her friend, "And your magic is bonded to him!"

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed in alarm, "But I didn't do anything!"

"Your hand was on the door when I translated the inscription." Levy contradicted, "It must've been a spell linking your magic to END's." Her eyes widened as the implications of what that meant hit her, "Lu... this means you control the greatest weapon in history!"

END had stopped growling while they talked, and had sunk back into an apathetic, blank eyed, crouch.

"So... why isn't he going on a rampage?" Lucy asked in confusion, "I mean, wasn't Zeref supposed to be the only one strong enough to control him?" She tried not to tense as he cocked his head slightly at the word Zeref, "The last time I checked I wasn't that strong."

Levy shrugged, "I don't know." She admitted, "The stories about END are confusing at best. Right now, I'd say he's not attacking because you're the one linked to him, and you haven't ordered it."

Lucy frowned a little, "END, I order you to stand up and come out of that alcove." She commanded, not convinced he would obey, but to her surprise he struggled to his feet.

Of course, four hundred years of confinement, magical or not, was bound to take its toll and he stumbled as he took a step. Lucy reached out automatically to steady him, and blinked at how warm he was on contact. She wasn't sure why but she'd expected him to be cold to the touch. Not warm. Though he certainly felt gross from four hundred years worth of dust and dirt on him.

She very nearly resisted the urge to wipe her hands off on her pants. It was hard enough keeping his heavy form supported until he regained his balance.

She eyed his face, his eyes dull and unfocused, but looking at her - almost expectantly she thought. As if he were waiting for his next order.

This was the demon that helped to rip their world apart four hundred years ago? Calling him a man didn't seem right - but calling him a weapon when he breathed and looked at her didn't seem right either.

It was clear though, he had no real sense of self behind those lifeless eyes.

"Amazing," Levy breathed as she watched END move as commanded. His body swayed just a little as he seemed to get used to moving around again. Aside from that, he showed no outward sign of being aware of his surroundings.

"I have to see what else the wall says," Levy said eagerly, cautiously stepping around the passive demon so she could pull out a recording lacrima to save the images and study later.

She swept it around, letting the light illuminate the passages and Lucy looked at END's face.

He followed her motions, eyes tracking her even though no other part of him moved.

"Can you speak?" Lucy asked, hesitant. The answer to that made her nervous, as she wasn't sure she wanted the answer. Levy glanced at her, waiting with all the eager interest of the historian she was.

END however, did not respond.

He blinked once at her, his tired, unfocused eyes gliding over Lucy.

"Guess that's that," Lucy sighed and took END's hand, pulling the almost unresponsive demon with her further from the wall so Levy could get to other portions of the door.

"This is a brilliant find Lucy!" Levy whipped around sharply at Lucy, "just think of what we could learn from him! Having END on our side can finally change the way this war against Tartaros is fought!"

END's head twitched at the word 'Tartaros.'

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the reaction. She'd noticed his reaction to Zeref as well, but that had been different. Like the kind of reaction you'd get from a dog after saying a word they knew. By comparison this had been a full body cringe even though his face had barely twitched.

Was it possible the fearsome demon didn't like Tartaros?

The idea seemed ridiculous at first, but if END had been linked to Zeref in this same kind of blankly passive state then it was possible things had been unpleasant for him at the hands of the other demons. She knew perfectly well how much above humanity they saw themselves. To them END would seem like a failure. A powerful one perhaps, but still a failure.

A trickle of reluctant pity ran through her.

She wasn't a fan of END, by a long shot, but suffering at the hands of the Tartaros demons wasn't something she would wish on her worst enemy. Let alone someone who clearly couldn't fight back without orders.

"I think we should avoid saying Tartaros Levy." She said slowly, watching as END twitched again and took his eyes off her long enough to glance around, "Call me crazy, but I don't think END here likes them a whole lot."

Levy blinked a little and nodded, "Right. Good idea."

She grinned, "But maybe that's a good thing?" She suggested, "He won't fight your orders to attack them or anything if you have to."

"Well that's a good thing I guess," Lucy cringed herself at the idea. Although she had to admit, she was a little interested to find out what END could do.

At the moment it didn't look like he could do much of anything at all. He just sat there and blinked. It seemed like he was about as useful as a floor lamp at the moment.

"You ready here Levy?" Lucy asked, growing worried over being around there for so long.

Knowing Zeref, he had placed a seal over END for a reason. Though only the gods, and Zeref himself, knew why he would do something like that.

He had decommissioned his most powerful weapon. A demon that seemed dangerous even to the other Etherious grade demons that commanded the lower level, bottom feeding monsters.

Accounts of END and the great tragedies he had committed while at Zeref's side were spread all over the world.

It was hard to believe this dusty, bleary eyed man was responsible.

Aside from the clearly demonic markings painting his skin, Lucy could almost mistake him for human.

His ears tapered slightly at the end into delicate points, sharp fangs lined the inside of his mouth, and his blank stare was highlighted by slitted pupils. But there were no horns, no claws - nothing to speak of a demonic nature.

But still, he was considered a weapon. Which meant he would be wanted.

Lucy didn't want to bank on their presence remaining unnoticed for long.

She edged towards the tunnel, uncertain if she would have to order END to follow her or not, but to her relief he moved after her. His steps were a little wobbly, but there was no hesitation in his movements, and his gait got stronger the more he moved.

"Interesting." Levy mused, "He follows automatically. I guess that means you have to order him to stay put when you don't want him following after you?"

"Probably knowing my luck." Lucy sighed, a slight throbbing in her head warning of an impending headache, "But let's worry about that later."

She led the way back outside, keeping a wary eye on the tunnel as she did, grateful that the trip out didn't seem nearly as long as the trip in, and it had more light thanks to the entrance being open all the way.

Her brain faltered on that and she paused without warning as she eyed the entrance with sudden caution. When had the entrance been opened fully? She and Levy had barely made enough room to squeeze through, and that stone had been very heavy. So why was the whole doorway standing open without the slab that had covered it anywhere in sight?

"What's wrong Lu?" Levy asked, "Why did we stop?"

"Levy..." Lucy said lowly, "Why is the entrance open fully?"

She could almost hear her friend thinking as her hand strayed to her keys. Her instincts were screaming at her that something was very wrong and she really wanted to stay alert, but she couldn't hear anything outside.

Of course, she'd learned the hard way, that didn't necessarily mean much.

Low snarls filled the entranceway, along with hulking deformed shapes.

Monsters. They were the low level kind, that dwelled in wastelands and the wild. They littered all over the countryside and roamed in packs.

One of which, seemed to have sensed the magic emitted from unleashing END, and ventured close to investigate.

They growled eagerly at the sight of food, acidic saliva bubbling from their maws and sizzling onto the stone below.

But that wasn't the most frightening thing.

No, it was the animalistic snarl that started up behind her, and Lucy turned only partially to see END's whole body tensed to fight. Sharp fangs were baring, lips pulled back in a deadly warning, and veins cobwebbed up his arms.

He took a step forward, and the monsters made a confused sound, as if unsure to stand their ground or retreat.

Lucy stared in shock as END stood steadfast by her side against the monsters, none of which dared to come towards them upon seeing END.

It seemed there was a certain kind of unspoken language going on between them, like wild dogs trying to mark out new territory.

It seemed they pushed their luck too far, when one dared to advance further towards Lucy.

Fascinated, Lucy watched END let out a furious roar as he sprang forward, fire erupting around him in a blaze.

It was a little like watching a statue suddenly spring to life. Where before END had been docile to the point of her doubting he really _was_ END, now she saw where the stories had come from. There was nothing weak or hesitant about the way END fought. His moves were as deadly as they were smooth, and in moments he'd taken down the monster that had edged closer to her with a violent precision that left her faintly nauseated.

Still, she was glad to see it. She and Levy probably could've dealt with two or three of them, but she could see at least six more converging on END from where he was perched on the carcass of the first beast and snarling threateningly at them.

She grabbed her keys just in case, aware that despite END being a weapon there were _six_ against one, and help might be needed if they all converged at once.

However, there was nothing to worry about as a moment later END belched out a gout of flame that literally fried the monsters to a crisp and blew them back.

Lucy and Levy looked at each other in stunned shock for a moment while END stood up and returned to his original vacant expression.

"I think I'm going to just go get the truck started!" Lucy exclaimed nervously, "We should have enough fuel we don't need more before getting back right?"

"Absolutely!" Levy agreed fervently, "I'll just get everything put in the back! We didn't unpack much anyway!"

They stared at each other for another moment and all but bolted to their self-appointed tasks.

Neither of them had any idea if more monsters or demons would be incoming, and weren't very eager to find out. They weren't particularly eager to ride around with END either, but as long as he wasn't snarling at them they would ignore it in favor of getting out of there and back home as quickly as possible.

Preferably _before_ something nasty like Tartaros showed up.

Of course that caused the question of how to get END inside their vehicle. Lucy doubted such a things existed in his time, and how she could convince the puppet to climb into it.

It took a little beckoning and creative phrasing, but eventually Lucy was able to drag END into the back seat. She hid a cringe every time she touched him, even as it forced her to grab him by the wrist.

He was filthy before, but after attacking the monsters with such uncontrolled savagery, he had blood splattered across his chest and sprayed over his face.

It dotted and flecked in his hair, but he didn't seem to even notice as Lucy encouraged him to lay down on the seating.

"Drive a little bit, okay?" Lucy asked Levy, "I'm going to try to clean him up and sit with him. If something happens, we at least know he'll listen to me."

"Good idea," Levy flashed END a nervous look, who was merely staring up at the carriage overhead.

It seemed she wasn't keen on him suddenly going crazy once they started to move.

However, nothing happened as Levy started to drive. END shifted a bit, which was to be expected, but he made no other outward sign of reaction except to shift his gaze to Lucy, and when she didn't react adversely he seemed to settle down again.

Lucy breathed softly in relief that he was apparently taking his cues from her, which perhaps explained the sudden violence earlier. Still, she was cautious as she rummaged through their supplies for a sponge and some water to try and clean him up a bit, but he didn't react to her movements at all.

In fact, he didn't react to anything even as she gently touched the wet sponge to his arm and started scrubbing. She was careful not to scrub harshly on the off chance he protested that, but she could've been cleaning a giant doll for all he seemed to care.

It was vaguely insulting actually.

But she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and between her work, and a few well placed commands, she was able to get him at least cleaner than he had been. He would still need a thorough shower at some point, but it was still an improvement.

Levy didn't say anything as she quietly drove them back home, but kept a sharp eye on Lucy and END. They were definitely going to have some _very_ interesting reports once they got back. This was going to shake up a lot of things, and there was no telling just how the pieces would fall.

With luck, they would fall in favor of ending this seemingly endless war.

* * *

 _ **And there you have it ladies and gents. The end to our first chapter of GOLEM. We hope you like it! :D And our chapter titles will be named after the creatures we list! So keep an eyes on those!**_

 _ **LET US KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK!**_


	2. Paladin

_WOW! What a huge turn out for our intro chapter! We're so glad you guys have decided to stick around to see our new fic! We got 50 reviews for our first show! Way to impress us! You could knock me over with a feather, won't lie! Alright guys, I'm sure you're impatient, so here is your new chapter!_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 2**_

 _ **Paladin**_

 _Through a select, worthy, few shines the power of the divine. Called paladins, these noble souls dedicate their swords and lives to the battle against evil. Knights, crusaders, and law-bringers, paladins seek not just to spread divine justice but to embody the teachings of the virtuous deities they serve._

* * *

When they got back to headquarters, they had to radio ahead to inform the rest of the Magic Knights of what they had uncovered. Levy seemed to hesitate over alerting the council right away on END's presence, but Lucy had determined it was for the best. After all, as stable as END seemed to be, she was confident nothing would happen if he was brought before them.

She could understand Levy's concerns though. Their leaders were nothing short of invaluable, and their influence was powerful. But they were the first ones that needed to know about the possible weapon they had at their disposal.

If they could figure out how to make END work for them.

Despite her earlier bravado, however, Lucy felt like her nerves were burning a hole in her esophagus now that she was finally faced with the opportunity to present him to the council.

Of course escorting a filthy, slightly bloodstained demon to stand before the elders was unthinkable, so Levy and Lucy had dragged the unresisting demon into the Knights showers to have him scrubbed up and washed.

A task which seemed almost impossible, until Lucy crammed a soapy rag in his hands and ordered him to wash himself.

When he mechanically began to obey, Levy and Lucy gratefully ducked out, pleased they wouldn't have to wash... certain parts of him.

"Thank goodness for small mercies." Lucy groaned as they listened to the shower running. The sound of all that clean water made her twitch with awareness of all of the grime on herself as well.

She looked down at herself and grimaced, "Honestly we don't look much better." She sighed, and eyed Levy hopefully, "Can you keep watch while I go get cleaned up?" She asked, "I promise I'll be quick, so you can go too. We probably shouldn't appear before the council ourselves like this."

Levy winced a bit at the idea, not sure if the idea of being alone with END or being dirty in front of the council was worse, but smiled for her friend anyway, "Sure! I'll see if Gray can come help keep an eye on things or something okay?"

"Good idea." Lucy replied, "We may need him to help put some clothes back on END anyway."

There were some things she just did not want to see or contemplate.

Levy shrugged, "Assuming you can't order him to dry off and get dressed, yeah. Though he seems to have the basics down anyway."

Lucy nodded and slipped away. Despite her efforts on the way back, END would be busy scrubbing for a while with four hundred odd years worth of dust and dirt to get out. She should be safe as long as she was quick.

The last thing she heard as she went into the women's side of the baths was Levy calling her partner for help.

She was more relieved than words could say when she discovered she had an extra set of council robes left in her locker. That was one less worry at least, and Lucy sighed as she ran the hottest shower she was able to stand before climbing under the spray.

Melting under the beat of the water, Lucy sighed and pressed her forehead against the wall of the shower. She let it loosen her muscles as she contemplated what was happening in her life.

Granted, it wasn't always the most glamorous of jobs, but it was one she liked. Lucy enjoyed helping people, and being a Knight afforded her the ability to do that.

It was better than the alternative for mages like her.

She had discovered from a very young age, that not all monsters were the kind that roamed the wastelands. No, many of them were much closer to home than most wanted to see.

Their city of Magnolia, their beautiful, thriving town, was rife with an underworld of crime.

The guilds.

They may have fancied themselves as good Samaritans, but Lucy knew better than most not to trust them.

The guild Phantom Lord was one of the worst of the lot, rivaled only by their rival gang - Fairy Tail. They tore up the streets with their skirmishes, and Phantom went as far as kidnapping children from wealthy homes for high ransom demands to fuel their feud and sate their lusts.

She knew, because when she was fifteen she had been one of their victims.

She opened her eyes under the stream, hoping the water would wash away those dark memories. Each time it flickered in her heart, it caused a darkness to dig in her heart.

It felt oppressive and bleak, and Lucy hated feeling that way. So full of anger and hatred. But the guilds had to be stopped.

She was determined it would happen. It had been her lifelong ambition since she'd escaped Phantom Lord. She wanted no other child to go through what she had at their filthy hands.

Rinsing the lather she had begun to work up over her body, Lucy almost let her mind drift off again when she heard the door suddenly burst open and heavy footfalls on the slick tile.

She froze in horror.

A figure moved outside the curtain, casting a shadow as it paused directly in front of her.

Slowly, she reached for her keys hanging on the hook on the shower wall. Her heart beat rapidly, filling up the tense air with the sound of her shallow breathing.

She grabbed her keys and lashed open the shower curtain, yanking it down as she threw her hand out in front of her, "Open! Gate of the Water bearer! Aqu-"

The incantation died off her lips at what was greeting her on the other side of the curtain.

END was standing there dripping wet. Somehow he had slipped past Levy and was now standing directly in front of her.

He stared at her, expression blank, but now unmistakably clean.

And naked.

Very, very naked.

There was a moment of complete silence as Lucy stared blankly back at him, Aquarius' name still on her lips, and processed what she was seeing.

In the next heartbeat she did the only thing she could do.

She screamed.

She dove for the shower curtain, pulling it up to hide herself while the sounds of frantic footsteps told her Levy and at least one other person had heard her.

"What are you doing?!" She screeched at END, restraining the impulse to kick him in the face for peeping only by sheer force of will.

Her scream had no effect on the demon, but at her question he calmly held out the rag he'd been using for her to take back. She stared at it dumbly while Gray, Levy, and two others burst in expecting the worst.

"You're kidding me." Lucy gaped in shock, "You came all the way over here just to give that back, and get another order?"

There was no response from END, which she should've expected by now, so she sighed as she took the rag, trying not to think about where it had recently been. Or the fact that those parts were on full and unhindered display.

She wrenched her mind away from that path with a mental growl, and sighed, "Okay, your new orders are to dry off using a towel he will give you." She pointed at Gray, "And to get dressed in clothes he will also give you. After that, you are to wait quietly until I re-join you. Is that clear?"

END cocked his head slightly as he processed her orders and then obediently turned and looked at Gray with the same vacant expression.

Lucy, meanwhile, was lightly thumping her head against the tiles and whining softly at the very weird direction her life had taken.

"Sorry Lucy," Levy apologized while a growling Gray dragged END off to a separate part of the bathroom for him to dry off and get dressed.

"I don't know how he got around me, but he was so quiet, we didn't even know he was in here until you screamed," Levy glanced worriedly back in the direction the men had gone.

"I don't understand though," Levy frowned, "That was a lot of trouble to go through just to give you back a wash cloth."

"Who knows why he did it," Lucy peeled her forehead off the wall and decided it was high time to end her shower.

Which was a crying shame, because as dark as her thoughts had turned, she had at least been enjoying the hot water.

"Alright, the shower is all yours Levy," Lucy dragged herself out and began to towel the water off.

"I have to go make sure Gray isn't destroying END, or vice versa," Lucy crammed herself in her spare clothes and tried to fluff out her wet hair a little.

She missed Levy's response as she headed back to the curtained off section where Gray appeared to be guarding END. The demon was standing opposite of Lucy's partner, not blinking as he stared the other man down.

"Gray? Everything okay here?" Lucy asked, somewhat hesitantly.

The dark haired mage looked stiff, and just a little bit angry.

Stiff Lucy was used to. Gray was sometimes known to be inflexible once he set his mind to something.

But angry? That was not like him at all. He was usually very frosty and calculating. Cold.

But never really _angry_.

"I don't like the way he keeps _looking_ at me," Gray said through gritted teeth.

Lucy peered around, but couldn't see any change in END's expression from before. Though she couldn't argue that it was kind of creepy to have that unblinking stare on you all the time.

She sighed and shook her head, "Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it." She replied, "Except for when he attacked some monsters at the ruins that's been the same expression he's worn since we found him. It's like it's his default setting."

Gray huffed, but didn't take his eyes off END.

Lucy rolled her eyes a little at the very male response. Gray tended to be icy yes, but he'd been her partner since shortly after she'd been promoted to the Rune Knights, and she knew he wasn't a _complete_ block of ice.

She also knew the was just as prey to his male ego as the next man. Even if he didn't like to admit it.

"C'mon." She huffed, shoving him slightly out of the way, "You can have your oh so manly staring contest with him later." She smirked as he winced slightly.

There was something about the word manly that just made Gray twitch. Every. Single. Time. He'd never told her what bugged him about that word, but it never ceased to amuse her.

Her smirk widened a bit into a full on grin as he shot her a sulky glare, "Now, c'mon and help me get him ready to meet the council. Even if he won't notice, or care, that he's there they will."

She ignored his quiet grumbling, pleased that END was at least covered in the important places, and started rummaging through a pile of clothes for something that might fit him at least reasonably well.

Once ready, they had just enough time to run down to the hall where they had their pre-scheduled meeting with the council. Levy was already there at the doors when they approached, END in tow.

"Are you sure about this?" Levy asked Lucy one last time. Her gaze flickered over towards Gray, who merely hung back behind their passive demon.

"Of course I am," Lucy frowned at her friend's hesitance, "They deserve to know about him, and the practical uses END can help us with."

She slid her gaze over towards him, lips thinning in hints of irritation. END shifted his weight, but stayed otherwise still.

"He helped turn our world into what it is today. Filled with guilds and crime, monsters and demons," She took END's hand and pushed open the doors with the other.

"The least he can do is help us fix it."

Levy and Gray glanced at each other, but neither said a word further as Lucy headed inside to make her report. Levy opened her mouth a little, but Gray shook his head slightly. He knew Lucy's opinions and knew there was nothing that could be said to sway them. Her own experience with Phantom Lord had seen to that.

Levy sighed slightly and followed her friend inside. She would be needed for this report as well. Gray, on the other hand, settled down to wait once the doors slammed shut. Whatever the outcome of this meeting was he needed to know it as quickly as possible.

After all, no matter what else, Lucy was his partner.

The wait seemed to last an eternity, but Gray was used to waiting patiently by now. It was a skill he'd acquired the hard way as a teenager, and it served him well now. Though that didn't stop him from glaring at the innocent clock on the wall hard enough it started to frost over.

According to _that_ they'd only been in there for half an hour.

He wondered what was being said in there. It seemed almost certain they would use END as a weapon. How could they not? Most of the council shared Lucy's attitude, and even he had to reluctantly admit they had a couple of valid points.

The Tartaros demons were by far the greatest threat, and since most of the Rune Knights couldn't hope to stand against even the weakest of those demons END would be a welcome addition to the fight.

It still made him uneasy though. After all, what did they know about this connection Lucy had with the demon? Or how far the orders would go?

Not a damned thing that was what.

Unfortunately, it was completely out of his hands at this point. But that didn't stop him from looking up with acute interest an hour after the doors had closed as they opened again.

Lucy stumbled out, looking a bit on the cross side as END followed her. Levy brought up the rear, her gale force reading glasses on as she reviewed her notes.

"So what's the verdict?" Gray perked up at the sight of them, "What are they going to do with him?"

Lucy gave her permanent shadow an exasperated look.

"I'm stuck with him. At least for right now," Lucy grumbled. She set a hand on END's shoulder, the demon blinking slowly at the action.

"Until the Council finds a way to remove the binding he has to me without making him go crazy, then he will have to be tested," Lucy looked a little unsure about that.

Alarm flared in Gray and he stared at the demon, who was now looking at Lucy's hand. He didn't seem even a little bit aware of his surroundings. The only thing he ever seemed to watch with any focus was Lucy.

Which was a shame, because if he knew what was potentially about to happen to him, Gray figured he would be a lot less happy.

"Experimentation?" Gray asked, feeling like he was swallowing around his own tongue, "They want to experiment on the strongest demon to ever live? What if they shake something loose in that empty head of his?"

Lucy nibbled at her bottom lip, glancing over at END.

His dull gaze slowly lifted to meet hers, and he cocked his head at her.

The last thing they wanted was for him to snap, remember what a monster he was and go crazy heedless of orders. But Lucy really had no say in the matter.

The council had made their decision.

"They won't happen right away," Lucy lifted a hand to tug at the demon's errant hair. The rosy locks of hair were soft under her fingertips and made good to keep her hands occupied while she spoke.

"He has to adjust to real life, and we have to see if he's going to stay a vegetable forever first," Lucy said with a touch of impatience, "Besides, when the magical experimentation start, they will have switched over ownership by then. He'll belong to someone who actually wants him."

Gray breathed a silent sigh of relief. They had a window to work with then. It was unlikely they could change the Council's mind, but at least they weren't going to stick END in a lab immediately. That gave them space. And time to plan in case everything went pear shaped and they needed to do something drastic.

Which... was extremely likely.

"So what are our immediate orders?" Gray asked curiously, eager to change the subject away from experimenting on ultimate demons.

Lucy shrugged slightly, "We're both being re-assigned for the duration." She replied, "They want to put you in charge of some of the new recruits for this cycle while I work with Levy on researching everything we can about END and integrate him into real life again."

She scowled slightly, "I expect the second part of that to be the more annoying assignment."

Gray shot her a slightly sympathetic look, "Well if you need to blow off steam, I'm sure I can find a couple of snot nosed brats needing their teeth kicked in."

Lucy smirked at him gratefully, "I might take you up on that."

"So what do we do first?" Levy asked, "Even if I get started right away it's going to take me a while to decode the information we found."

Lucy thought for a moment, and felt her head start to throb a little, "Ugh, we need to go shopping at some point. I don't have any clothes that will work in the long run..."

And she really did not want to go out and jump through _that_ tangled mess of hoops on top of everything else today. Right now she was much more interested in heading back to her quarters, curling up on the couch with something to drink, and watching something on her lacrimatron.

Gray could detect the signs of his partner starting to melt down, and dropped a hand on her shoulder, "I'll take care of it." He promised, "We're about the same size, so I can pick up a few things. You worry about getting him settled."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked, trying not to sound too hopeful, and he shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. I was planning to go out today anyway."

"Besides," Levy shuffled through her notes, frowning deeply as she read the pictures and images taken from the door the demon was sealed in, "You can't just take him around the place and call him END for citizens to hear. Can you imagine the panic?"

"That's a good point," Gray crossed his arms, "But we can't just call him 'hey you' either."

"Not that he would respond," Lucy rubbed her temples and walked around Levy to peer over her shoulder at her notes. She was looking for something out of the translated words Levy had already deciphered to call the demon.

She scanned the page near where END was shown, which really just appeared to be an anagram for the formula in the demon's design. The power of etherion, the heat of nature, and the ferocity of a dragon.

Lucy gasped as she looked at the broken down parts, snapping her fingers in excitement.

"We'll call him Natsu! Natsu Dragneel," Lucy knew she looked just as smug as she felt.

She looped back around before Levy could splutter a protest over Lucy's haphazard butchering of the ancient text, and set her hands on END's shoulders.

"From now on, your name is no longer END," she ordered. Lucy watched as his blank eyes followed her, the only sign he was actually listening.

"Your name is now Natsu," she announced, squeezing his shoulders just a little, "Natsu Dragneel."

For a moment, she thought his gaze sharpened, and Lucy almost caught her breath at the sight.

But then she blinked, and whatever she saw - or whatever she thought she saw, was gone.

* * *

 **SNEAK PEAK**

 _"Well you know," Lucy began the eager start of her gossip with Juvia, "I think you and Gray should do something really special! After all, you two have been together for ages. I'm almost jealous of your relationship."_

 _Juvia gave Lucy an amused, if slightly pouty look, "Juvia thought the days of competing with love rivals was past!"_

 _Another one of Juvia's more terrifying traits, but one she had almost thankfully completely had shaken off._

 _"I meant how you have someone special in your life," Lucy smiled at her, "Between work and life, I don't have time for anyone."_

 _She turned towards their demonic companion, "All I've got is-"_

 _But Natsu wasn't there._

 _He was gone._


	3. Salamander

We had a few questions. Some of which I won't answer because PATIENCE. The other question was about sneak peeks. **If we get at least 30 reviews we provide a sneak peak!** As Kytrin and I would never withhold a chapter from you guys, this is our way of encouraging you to drop us a few words!

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 3**_

 _ **Salamander**_

 _Aristotle, (384 BC – 322 BC), and Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23–79) associate them with fire and it is with fire that most of the fantastic powers are connected. People thought that salamanders were born or created from fire._

* * *

Lucy smiled as she strolled through the marketplace. It had been a week since her mostly silent and blank roommate had moved in with her, and she was slowly getting used to having him around and giving him orders.

The first few days had been... interesting.

END, or the newly dubbed Natsu, sometimes had interesting interpretations of her orders. Not that he ever disobeyed her, but she'd very quickly learned that if she didn't specify what he was supposed to do he was more likely to pick the strangest method of following through possible.

There were other times she was almost sure he was just being a brat.

Like the time she'd told him to put the laundry down the chute and he'd interpreted it as "Put every article of clothing in the apartment down the laundry chute."

She had not been amused to discover him stripped naked and all of her clothes, clean and dirty, gone.

At least she'd gotten back before he'd tried stuffing the pillows or something down as well.

"You look really relieved about something Lucy." An amused voice interrupted her musings, coming from just to her side.

"Ah!" Lucy looked up in mild surprise, "Juvia! Sorry, I didn't see you there." She grinned, "And I guess you could say that. Has Gray told you about my new roomie yet?"

She gestured vaguely to where Natsu was showing definite signs of interest as he sniffed at the various goods on display.

She pulled her eyes away from him, a little reluctant to stop watching over him for even a moment. She was afraid he would begin removing everything from vendor's display tables or something. He certainly hadn't hesitated about her spice cabinet.

Last time she asked him to get out garlic, cumin, and paprika for their meal, Natsu had opened every single spice she owned to sniff the contents.

She suspected that meant he didn't know how to read. Or if he did, he wasn't actively looking at the labels.

And if that was the case, then Natsu was being a brat.

Lucy had no way of proving it though.

"Gray might have brought it up once or twice," Juvia said in amusement as she watched Natsu stick his head in some baskets.

Perhaps Lucy shouldn't have given him permission to explore, because it seemed even for a puppet or whatever he was - Natsu was curious.

And nothing short of a walking disaster.

Every time he investigated something, a part of her house seemed to break in record time afterwards. It was beginning to drive Lucy up the wall.

She was beginning to suspect she had bitten off more than she could chew when she agreed to watch the demon.

Juvia laughed softly at Lucy's expression, "Would you like to join me for some brunch then?" She offered sympathetically, "I'm not expecting to meet Gray until later, and I can help keep an eye on your new friend."

"That would be great Juvia." Lucy smiled, "Thanks. I'll pay though. It seems Natsu is a bottomless pit, and I don't want him eating you out of your paycheck."

Juvia nodded as she led the way to the restaurant, "Gray told me how you demanded a budget for Natsu's food after the third day."

Lucy groaned, "Ugh, it was self-defense! He'd already eaten more in three days than I can in two weeks! There's no way I can afford that on what they pay me." She noticed Natsu had gotten distracted by a display of leather goods, and backtracked to tug on his wrist, "C'mon Natsu. We're going to get food."

It was hard to say for sure, but she thought his expression might've lit up a little at the idea of food. Certainly his steps quickened, and there was no imagining the drool trickling out of the side of his mouth.

But she was used to that by now. Food was a word he obviously understood very well, and loved as much as he understood it.

She supposed it was a good thing since he was made out of flesh and that had all the attendant needs, but it was a trifle strange how he reacted to _that_ and stared blankly at almost everything else.

When he wasn't getting into her things and breaking stuff anyway.

It was confusing to say the least how some things seemed to inspire more of a response in him than others. But they had a theory it was because he responded to his baser needs.

Who knew how much food his own strange biology demanded. It wasn't like Lucy had a way of seeing how much demons ate. Natsu was the only one she even knew.

He followed them into a small corner barbecue, and Lucy thought it would be a good place to satisfy Natsu's endless appetite.

His eyes had taken on a hungry light, and Lucy noticed his gaze had automatically drifted to the firepit where a fat pig was being roasted.

They hadn't even been seated yet, and Natsu looked like he very badly wanted to lunge at the pig itself.

Of course that didn't explain his reaction when the employees took the pig away, and he still was staring at the pit with a tightness around his eyes.

It was a strange expression for him to have, but Lucy didn't know what he was looking at with such hungry intensity.

Only when they were seated did Natsu passively pull his gaze away, sitting down obediently when Lucy ordered him to.

However, even then he kept sneaking glances at the fire pit while Lucy and Juvia ordered. Whatever it was that had him so fascinated by it Lucy figured food would probably cure it so she ordered an enormous platter of various roast meats for him. He could, and did, eat nearly anything, but she'd learned that he seemed to have a particular fondness for meat of any kind.

Sure enough, her gamble paid off and as soon as the food was in front of him he dug in with what could almost be considered gleefulness.

"Oh my!" Juvia exclaimed as he devoured his food with a complete disregard for table manners, "He really _is_ hungry!"

"Yeah." Lucy sighed, "This is normal unfortunately."

"I can't blame you for demanding a food allowance if this is how he normally is." Juvia murmured, slightly mesmerized by the sight until her own food was placed in front of her.

"Yeah. I just wish I knew what a normal amount of food for him really was. He eats every chance he gets, so I have no idea if I'm not feeding him enough or if he's being a pig."

"Well he certainly doesn't look like he's starving!" Juvia laughed, and flashed Lucy a smile, "I'd try not to worry too much about it. He looks perfectly healthy to me, so as long as he's eating and keeping it down you're probably getting it right."

"I guess you have a point there!" Lucy grinned back, starting to relax fully as she started her own food, slapping Natsu's wandering fingers before he could grab what he shouldn't, "So what brings you to the market today? Just shopping or enjoying the day?"

"A little of both." Juvia admitted, "Juvia's anniversary with Gray is coming up, and Juvia wanted to do something extra special!"

Lucy bit back a laugh as Juvia slipped into the third person. She had no idea why, but whenever Juvia started talking about her and Gray together she did that. It was both hilarious and kind of endearing. Almost as much as how devoted to Gray she was. He was a lucky bastard that was for sure, and if he didn't propose to her soon Lucy might have to sic Taurus on him or something.

Eager for a little slice of normalcy, Lucy turned her chair fully towards Juvia, both of them looking out towards the street.

"Well you know," Lucy began, eager start of her gossip with Juvia, "I think you and Gray should do something _really_ special! After all, you two have been together for ages. I'm almost jealous of your relationship."

Juvia gave Lucy an amused, if slightly pouty look, "Juvia thought the days of competing with love rivals was past!"

Another one of Juvia's more terrifying traits, but thankfully one she had almost completely shaken off.

"I meant how you have someone special in your life," Lucy smiled at her, "Between work and life, I don't have time for anyone."

She turned towards their demonic companion, "All _I've_ got is-"

But Natsu wasn't there.

He was gone.

Lucy gasped in shock and alarm shot through her, immediately standing up and almost knocking over her chair in the process.

"He's gone! Oh no Juvia, I lost him!" Panic colored her voice and tone, her whole body tensing as she thought of all the horrible consequences of END running loose around Magnolia.

"I looked away for just a _second_!" she wailed, throwing her hands up to her cheeks.

Juvia stood up also, "Don't worry Lucy! He couldn't have gone too far. We'll find him!" Although the expression on her face did not fill Lucy with certainty.

No, she looked unsure, and almost a little nervous. Which she should be. After all, END was not a creature anyone wanted to run into.

"Sir! What are you doing?!"

Lucy whipped around, expecting the worst, only to stop and gape in shock at the sight of Natsu perched on the edge of the fire pit he'd been staring at so intently and _eating_ fistfuls of the flames as if they were solid chunks of the meat he'd been devouring not minutes prior.

"H-he's... he's eating the flames?!" She managed after a moment of trying to process what she was seeing.

"It... appears so." Juvia replied numbly, looking just as astonished as Lucy felt.

"Please sir!" The owner pleaded, "You could hurt yourself up there!"

That galvanized Lucy into action and she rushed forward, "I'm really sorry!" She apologized, "He's a type of fire wizard you see, and when he gets extra hungry..."

The owner frowned at her for a long moment, "Be that as it may, he shouldn't be up there. We need to use that pit and the last thing I need is my patrons getting crazy ideas!"

"Oh absolutely!" Lucy laughed nervously, and turned her attention to Natsu, "Natsu! Get down from there! That's an order!"

Natsu paused in his obvious enjoyment as the order took effect and looked at her. When she showed no signs of rescinding her order his shoulders slumped, and he _whined_ pitifully.

Lucy's jaw unhinged again for the second time in as many minutes. Natsu had never, _ever_ , displayed that kind of reaction to anything. He'd growled on occasion sure, but he'd never actually begged for anything for himself as he was doing now. Exactly like a dog would.

Despite her best efforts, Lucy's heart strings tugged at the sound, and she sighed, "I'll get you some more fire later." She found herself promising, "But you can't be up there. The people here need that fire."

He stared at her blankly, his head cocking at the word 'fire' and what she was saying. His span of comprehension always seemed to fluctuate, but he obeyed as he always did.

He jumped down as he was compelled to listen to her commands, straightening up and staring blankly head.

Although she did notice how his eyes seemed to linger over the owner for longer than was necessary.

When Lucy returned to the table with Natsu in tow, and the firm order for him not to leave his chair unless stated otherwise, Juvia smiled at her.

"It seems you might have figured out why he eats as much as he does" Juvia smiled as Natsu resumed eating his ordered food at a much more sedate pace.

"You think he's been compensating the sheer volume because he hasn't had access to fire?" Lucy asked in bewilderment. Was it even possible for something like that to happen?

Natsu was a demon, sure, but never had they heard of demons eating their own elements like that. Not even mages did that. But she had witnessed it with her own eyes, which was good since otherwise she would not have believed it.

"Alright," Lucy groaned, thinking about all the new complications this discovery about Natsu had caused, "now I'm going to have to actually figure out how to use my fireplace."

"Yes, but at least your costs will go down to some firewood and matches." Juvia pointed out cheerfully, "That will be much easier on your budget than a constant supply of food right?"

Lucy cocked her head slightly, "I guess. It depends on how much fire he needs to eat I suppose."

Juvia shrugged eloquently, "Bonfires are permitted on the beach." She pointed out, "Maybe once we're done here we can get a bunch of wood and head down to the beach to build some bonfires? If nothing else it'll fill him up."

Lucy frowned slightly, "That's a good idea, but what about your plans?" She asked worriedly, "I don't want to keep you."

"Think nothing of it!" Juvia smiled, "There's still time before the anniversary, and this is important right? We could even call Gray and Levy to join us! I'm sure Gray could help, and Levy is always looking to add to her research."

Lucy wondered idly when Juvia had met Levy, but brushed it aside a moment later. Gray didn't exactly hide his relationship, even if there were those among the Knights who didn't believe he actually had a girlfriend, and she knew very well he talked about his co-workers and anything else that wasn't classified to Juvia.

It was entirely possible the two women had met at some point when she wasn't around, or Juvia was just mentioning someone she knew Lucy would know as well.

"Well if you're sure..." She hesitated, hope lighting her eyes, and Juvia responded by pulling out her phone to dial Gray.

"Thanks Juvia." She murmured gratefully.

A few phonecalls, and a wild hunt for chopped wood later, they were dragging their load to the beach.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Lucy groaned as she managed to dig her heels into a particularly stubborn ditch of sand and drag their sleigh of wood closer to the water.

Making an impromptu feast of fire for a four hundred year old demon that was responsible for razing the wastelands.

It was ludicrous even in her head.

She could hardly even remember the last time she had been to the beach. It had certainly been ages since the last time she took the time out of her day to enjoy it.

It seemed almost ridiculous that she would now be there, forced to enjoy it because of Natsu.

"Hey guys!" Gray's voice called out, and Lucy looked up to see the man already stripped down to a pair of swimming trunks and walking towards them with a cooler.

Behind him Levy ran to catch up with them, a large sunhat flopping on her head, much too big for her. She grinned and waved at Lucy, who returned it just as enthusiastically.

"So what's the occasion?" Gray asked, looping his fingers behind his head as he watched Natsu sitting on the sand by itself.

It had been an interesting experience to convince him to put on some swimming trunks, but she had made due nonetheless.

They wouldn't be able to go very far into the water, as even in the cities they ran the risk of running into underwater monsters. But they would be fine if they stayed in the shallow end.

Lucy flashed him a slightly sheepish grin, and jabbed her thumb at Natsu, "Actually, he is."

"Natsu?" Levy asked in confusion, "But how? He doesn't look any different."

"No, but it turns out he actually _eats_ fire." Lucy explained, and laughed at their shocked expressions, "I know! I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, and Juvia hadn't confirmed it."

She shrugged, "Anyway, it was Juvia's idea to come down here and build him some bonfires to gorge on. She thinks that might be why he's been eating so much, and I can't disagree with her."

"And I'm betting Juvia was also the one to suggest turning this into an afternoon off?" Gray smirked as he sat the cooler down and curled an arm around his girlfriend's waist, "Since we would be down here anyway to help feed Natsu right?"

Juvia blushed a bit, but smiled at him, "Well, it would be such a shame to waste a chance to see the lovely Gray in a swimsuit!"

Lucy choked on a laugh, "Not that he needs the excuse." She teased, "We're lucky if he's in pants and shoes at work!"

"Hey!" Gray huffed, "It's not like I do it on purpose!"

That caused all three women to laugh.

"Well anyway." Lucy grinned, suddenly feeling a lot better about things, "Let's get the first bonfire set up, and see what's in that cooler!"

They all gathered around, Lucy keeping her arm linked with Natsu to make sure he wouldn't wander off in the ocean or something like that. Together they worked on building a nice cone shape for the wood to sit in, and while Gray failed a couple of times at lighting a match, Levy provided the spark.

Quick gestures and a flash of magic later, the word FIRE erupted to life through the air and crashed into the pile of wood.

Lucy felt Natsu stiffen as the cheery flames began to crackle to life. His gaze seemed to sharpen on the flames again, staring at them with that blank intensity she was beginning to realize as his signs of hunger.

And then he did it again. That small, whining sound in the back of his throat. His feet shuffled through the sand and Lucy felt his arm straining to stay put.

She slid her arm off of his, and lightly pushed the demon forward. Fingertips pressed against the muscles of his back right between the shoulderblades.

"Go ahead Natsu. Eat as much as you want," she allowed.

No sooner had the words left her mouth, than did he lunge for the flames, a throaty sound escaping him as his hands dove into the fire.

"Holy!" Gray yelped, unable to say anything else when Natsu opened his mouth and began ripping chunks out of the flames. Razor sharp teeth danced across it, and the fire glowed brightly before he swallowed them whole.

" _Incredible_ ," Levy breathed in fascination as Natsu ate enough of the flames that just a small crackle was left.

The fire pit smoldered a dull glow, and Levy cast another FIRE to light the pit once more.

There was a definite spring to Natsu's step that Lucy didn't imagine when Natsu continued to eat ravenously.

It seemed he had an inherent need to eat fire, just as he did food. That explained why he seemed like a bottomless pit.

Lucy would have hated to think what would have happened had they not been able to discover Natsu ate fire. He might have wasted away until there was nothing left. The council would lose their weapon to turn the tide in their war.

Natsu settled down quickly after eating half of his way through the fire pit again, sitting down on the sand and staring blankly ahead once more.

Still, he had picked his spot very close to the fire, as if afraid it would go away when he wasn't looking.

Or at least that was the impression Lucy got.

Satisfied they had finally satiated Natsu's hunger, Lucy could spend the rest of the time enjoying their day at the beach.

"Come on! Let's bury Gray!" Juvia sang out, hugging onto her boyfriend's arm and flashing him a radiant smile.

His cheeks turned a little pink and he stammered, "Wait! Doesn't Gray have a say in this?"

His protests were unheard as Levy laughed and snagged his other arm, helping Juvia pull him to the sand.

"Relax! It'll be fun!" Levy giggled so hard, her hat slipped down over her eyes. For a moment she struggled with it before abandoning it to the side to devote all of her attention to the task ahead of her.

"For you maybe." Gray grumbled, but his struggles were more token than anything, and it wasn't long before he was being stretched out while the two women giggled and started piling sand on top of him.

Lucy laughed and gently touched Natsu's shoulder, "Do you want to stay here?" She asked him.

Maybe he didn't have much more intellect than your average dog, but there was no doubt that there was _something_ in there. And now that he was looking happier, for him anyway, it seemed rude to order him to stay put.

Of course the vague, slightly confused, expression on his face when he looked at her made her sigh.

Of course, he wouldn't understand.

"It's alright." She told him, feeling vaguely sorry for him, "You can stay here." She looked over to where Gray was slowly but steadily being buried and grinned, "Unless you want to come bury Gray!"

His expression didn't change and she shook her head. Wants were obviously beyond him. Except when it came to fire.

"Hey Lucy!" Levy called, "Come join us, and order Natsu to help us bury Gray!"

Lucy blinked at the idea and laughed, "Good idea! C'mon Natsu!" She grinned standing up, "The fire will still be there later. Come help us bury Gray!"

Natsu blinked and Lucy almost laughed aloud as he no doubt struggled to process her very strange command.

He stood up at her request and bent at the knees, lifting an armful of sand and trudging over towards where Gray was currently coated to his legs.

"Uh, Lucy," Gray said a little nervously as Natsu approached him with his load, "Maybe you should clarify that he shouldn't drop that on my fac-"

Too late, Natsu did just that.

Lucy winced as Gray flailed and Natsu simply stood there with his arms covered in sand. Cursing, Gray snarled a few uncomplimentary things around a mouthful of sand at Natsu, while Juvia was busy rinsing the sand from Gray's face. Levy choked on giggles, because of _course_ Natsu would have misinterpreted the order. Lucy herself was kicking herself for not thinking to refrain from including Gray's head in the order.

However as Natsu stood there, bending down to pick up another load of sand to try and dump back on Gray's head, she could have sworn she thought she saw him smile

* * *

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* * *

 _"Get ready," Lucy breathed to Levy, her eyes on the crowd of angry protesters cut off from the audience._

 _It was a larger crowd than she had expected, and many of them held signs that made Lucy feel various degrees of disgust._

 _Among those was a sign toting large print that read 'LEGALIZE GUILDS.' Lucy frowned and shook her head. It was a shame they couldn't see what the council did for them. Or the amount of crime and underhanded tricks that Guild hide behind smiles and welcoming hands._


	4. Griffin

WOW! So many comments and questions! Unfortunately a lot of them I can't answer because the answers will soon be revealed. Patience, Patience, Patience! Still though, some of you guys have some really fascinating theories! Some are off mark, but some are... interesting. Apologies for the late update, I had work early in the morning so I missed out on posting! Enjoy!

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS - Post, break, break, Post, etc.**_

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 4_**

 _ **Griffin**_

 _As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. It used to denote strength, military courage and leadership._

* * *

"Thank you Natsu." Lucy said in pleased surprise as he reached over her and pulled down the book she'd been reaching for and handed it to her.

He'd been doing that more and more since their trip to the beach, and she could only assume that it was the consumption of fire that had sparked the change. So to speak.

He still stared at everyone without comprehension, but it seemed the extra energy had allowed him to behave as he would've normally. Which made a lot of sense to her. After all, Zeref hadn't appeared to be in the habit of creating completely brain dead weapons.

Of course, his normal behavior also seemed to include an increased curiosity.

Much to her continued frustration and dismay.

However, there were times like this where it actually helped her out, and she appreciated it a little more.

But the moment, as always, was fleeting as she caught the scent of smoke and leapt up to find Natsu had apparently been investigating her drapes and set one on fire.

"Natsu!" She yelped, "No! Don't do that!"

She dove for the fire extinguisher, ignoring his growls at the hated device, and quickly sprayed her curtains.

"That's another pair ruined." She moaned and turned to Natsu, "No lighting your own fires in the house! Period!"

There was pause before he nodded fractionally in acknowledgment of the order.

Lucy let out an annoyed huff of frustration, giving Natsu a sour glare. It was like living with a robot. A destructive, blank faced robot that made the property value of her home plummet into the freaking earth's core.

He seemed to be able to retain her old commands, so some things he did automatically. But more often than not he accidentally blew a hole in her drywall in the process.

She sighed in frustration as she toed on her fuzzy slippers and ripped down the charred remnants of her curtains.

It was a shame, she had really liked these.

And now that left the windows bare and unprotected from the chill that came from outside. Lucy shivered and gave the blank faced Natsu an annoyed look.

"You know now it's going to be _freezing_ tonight," Lucy grumbled at him, heading into her room.

Natsu of course shared it, as he seemed rather insistent on being near her.

Their first night she had tried to put him up in a room next to hers, but she just found him sitting outside her door in the hallway. Lucy wasn't even sure he slept...

Although she supposed he had to at some point.

She sighed as she quickly got ready for bed in her winter pajamas. It was early spring, so the days were nice, but the nights still tended to be frigid. And now it was going to be even colder thanks to Natsu.

She largely ignored him as she settled into bed, too irritated to deal with him at the moment, and confident that he would get ready for bed on his own.

He'd been doing that since he'd started retaining more than a couple of her commands at a time.

She cracked open the book to read, shoving aside her gratitude that he'd picked it up for her in the wake of her irritation, and tried to get lost in the pages.

It was a tactic that worked for about an hour before she started losing her battle against sleep, and reluctantly put the book aside as a jaw cracking yawn split her face. Natsu was already sitting on his cot, staring blankly at the wall as she flicked off the light.

However, no sooner had the room darkened than Natsu got up and walked over to her bed. She started a little at the completely unexpected action, but before she could move he pulled the covers aside and got into bed with her.

"What are you-!" She started only to be cut off as he wrapped his arms around her and lay down.

What. The. Heck?!

She lay stiffly for several moments, but he made no other move, and she slowly found herself relaxing as the natural warmth from his body permeated the covers.

Lucy's eyes went a little wide in surprise as he held her. It was totally unexpected and she wasn't sure what to do or how to handle it.

All she managed to do was mindlessly trace the curling patterns of tattoos she could see peeking under the collar of his shirt and from the tips of his sleeves, as the rest of her brain had shut down from shock.

After a moment, he released her, and Lucy found herself even more confused when he did so.

It was only when she realized she wasn't trembling from the chill, and her blankets were sufficiently toasty, did he get up and return to his cot.

He sat back down on it, just as blankfaced as he was before, and Lucy gaped at him, unable to register or process what she had witnessed.

Had he somehow figured out she was cold, and was instinctively performing a task as if it were an order?

Lucy wasn't sure what to think about it, but decided she would report it to Levy in the morning.

She was due to meet Levy by the cathedral anyway for the ceremony to induct new recruits out of the Magic Knights and into the Rune Knights.

There was bound to be a lot of attention on the event. There were all sorts of people who blindly protested the Magic Council and everything they did for the people of Fiore. Protesters of all sorts could come out, perhaps even a guild member or two.

Regardless, they would be there as additional security, even if Lucy didn't think the protestors would be bold enough to do anything. Regardless, she would have time to ask Levy about this development in Natsu tomorrow, before or after the event.

In the meantime, she pushed it to the back of her mind. She had plenty of things to worry about, and she couldn't afford to be exhausted tomorrow.

For a mercy, the cold did not bother Lucy once as she slept that night. Her bed remained warm and comfortable until the bright, cheerful, sun shone through her window in the morning.

She blinked blearily as she slowly came back to wakefulness and sat up. There was no sign of Natsu in her bed, and she was treated to the mildly surprising sight of Natsu sleeping on his cot.

Well... if it could be called sleeping.

His eyes were closed, and his breathing even, but he didn't move a muscle otherwise. There was no sign of snoring or even that he'd rolled over in the night.

Still, it at least answered her question about if he slept or not.

She studied his features at rest for a moment, trying to find signs of the demon within, but except for his pointed ears and markings there weren't any. Not that she should be surprised about that. The only time he'd even hinted at the demon within was when he'd attacked the monsters at the ruins.

She shook her head and got up to get a shower. She had a lot to do, and no time to laze around this morning.

She didn't notice the way his eyes opened as she left. Or the way he sat up to look after her for a moment before yawning and stretching as he got up.

-::-

They were making good time to the recruits induction ceremony, despite Lucy running late and having to drag out her uniform and stuff herself clumsily in it.

The white robes were nice the first couple of days she was on the job, but the novelty of it had worn off really quick when she had to wear it for almost every major event and big jobs.

That was nothing compared to the task of dragging Natsu into a set. While not a Knight, he couldn't leave her side and would stand out too vividly in his normal plain clothes.

He made a sound of what she could only imagine was discontentment as they headed out, but otherwise remained as blank faced as ever. Personally, she completely sympathized. It was way too early in the morning to be conscious, let alone going places.

She was relieved to see Levy already waiting for them by the gates when they arrived though. Her face was a little pinched around the lips with worry, and Lucy figured her bookish friend was probably worried about a guild attack. She didn't blame her. They'd happened in the past. Which was the reason they'd been dragged into this in the first place.

It was a frightening thought, but with so many mages here Levy had nothing to worry about, and Lucy greeted her friend with a bright smile she hoped would disarm her.

"Hey Levy," she smiled, dragging her demon behind her so he wouldn't wander off in the crowd and get lost. Sometimes this job was not worth the hassle.

"Hey Lu." Levy replied, her expression relaxing fractionally at the sight of her friend and Natsu, "I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry about that!" Lucy apologized sheepishly, "I overslept a little. Natsu's the only one who's eaten so far."

"Well, maybe we can hit the mess hall for food after this." Levy suggested, but Lucy didn't miss the way her eyes kept darting around looking for signs of trouble.

"That would be great." She replied, "I wanted to talk about something new Natsu did anyway." She shook her head at Levy's curious look, "I'll tell you later." She promised, "We've got work to do right now."

"Aw Lucy!" Levy whined, "You know that's going to bug me now!"

Lucy grinned at both her friend's pout and the way she was no longer so tense. Levy's magic was powerful, but being mostly support type it left her in a bit of a pinch in a fight. She couldn't blame her for being a little tense all things considered. She just wished it wasn't necessary.

"I'm sure you'll survive." She drawled as they neared the stage that had been set up.

She hid a wince as the crowed alternated between hissing at them and cheering for them. Some people truly did not understand that if it wasn't for the Magic Knights and Rune Knights the demons would've overrun them all centuries ago and none of them would be here.

But she couldn't entirely hate them for their ignorance either.

The divide between the poor and the wealthy was a sharp one and despite the best efforts of herself and a few others it seemed to get sharper each year. No doubt to the common person on the street it looked like the Rune Knights were the willing lapdogs of the Council that fed off them.

A loud chime rang clear through the sanctioned off area. Lucy and the rest of the Knights all took the stage as a member of the council took center stage to award the recruits their new status.

"Get ready," Lucy breathed to Levy, her eyes on the crowd of angry protesters cut off from the audience.

It was a larger crowd than she had expected, and many of them held signs that made Lucy feel various degrees of disgust. Among those was a sign toting large print that read 'LEGALIZE GUILDS', and prompting Lucy to frown and shake her head over it, but push it to the back of her mind just as quickly. She had more important things to do right now.

Unfortunately the problem was made more severe when it became clear there were protesters hidden in the crowd of supporters. Lucy's eyebrows climbed up to her hairline and she tensed.

Just as the first recruit was about to take the stage a fight broke out between the two groups, and Lucy didn't hesitate as she pounced into the fray on instinct.

"Lucy!" Levy shouted, and she whipped her head around to see what had disturbed her friend. She was relieved to see she was fine, but in her haste to get to the people fighting - she had forgotten all about Natsu.

Oh no. Lucy's eyes went wide as she remembered the last time he had fought. Her eyes flashed over to where Levy was pointing off the stage, and sure enough what she saw made her heart drop to her feet.

A column of fire was carving its way through the crowd, heedless of who or what was in front of it. Luckily, most people had the sense to jump out of the way, and Natsu quickly found his way to her.

A snarling roar escaped him and he crouched down, bending forward on the balls of his feet as he glared out at the crowd in displeasure.

Whatever he was thinking, he looked every inch the demon he was supposed to be right at the moment.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted over the crowd to make herself heard. "Don't-!"

But her order was cut off when the ground exploded under her feet, and a legion of Twilight Ogre mages filed out of a tunnel.

They rushed forward all at once, and Lucy had just enough sense to back away with Natsu as the guild members began to overtake the square.

"What do they think they're doing here?!" Lucy snapped angrily.

The only way this could get worse was if Fairy Tail decided to butt in and escalate things.

As if her thought had summoned them there was a sudden war cry from the other side of the square and the members of Fairy Tail charged in, heading straight for the Twilight Ogre thugs.

"ARE THEY KIDDING ME?!" Lucy shouted in as much surprise as indignation.

Fights between the guilds weren't uncommon. Particularly in the slums. But a brawl between guilds on this scale at a Rune Knight ceremony no less was beyond ridiculous.

"Damnit!" Gray growled as he caught up to her, "Those idiots are going to trash the place if they're not careful."

"I don't think they care about that." Lucy replied grimly and looked around, "Can you back Levy up?" She asked, "I need to get Natsu before he goes berserk or something."

"Levy's fine." Gray replied tensely, "The others have her covered. I'll help you deal with Natsu and the fight."

Lucy nodded, "Then can you clear a path for us?"

"Consider it done." Gray smirked, and slapped his hands together, "Ice make floor!"

In an instant the area between them and Natsu iced over causing everyone standing on top of it to start slipping and falling. Which, conveniently, meant they weren't fighting.

"Thanks Gray!" Lucy called as she darted forward. She'd long since learned how to walk on his ice, a necessity of being partners, and it served her in good stead now.

Unfortunately, she was still too late to reach Natsu.

Before she could get close enough to give him an order to stand down a large hulking figure dropped down in front of the angry looking demon. He had wild hair and the studs piercing his flesh everywhere making him instantly recognizable.

"Black Steel Gajeel." She breathed.

"And you're the dog of the council," the fierce looking mage barked out a laugh at her. Red eyes flashed down at the demon snarling in front of him and looked only a little interested, "Why don't you step back girlie before you get hurt?"

Gajeel was tall and imposing. As far as Fairy Tail mages went he was one of their elites, and just as dangerous too.

He was an S-class wizard, and well known for all kinds of physical attacks with his metal magic. Furthermore, he was a practitioner of a form of metal make magic no one had ever heard of, but everyone speculated wildly on. It made him extremely dangerous under any circumstances.

She had a feeling she was going to need Taurus for this fight.

But before she could even reach for her key, Natsu's head twitched at Lucy's tone and the implied threat in Gajeel's voice.

Fire erupted from Natsu and he let out a deafening roar, one that seemed to shake everything around them and even cause some fights to fall to a standstill.

Natsu knew nothing about Gajeel, and it seemed he didn't care either as he lunged for the taller man, murder on his face and a promise of pain in his eyes.

Gajeel's eyes widened in a shock Lucy could read all too easily. It was the same shock she was sure was on her own face. Natsu had positively come alive at the threat to her, and it was both terrifying and vaguely touching. Especially since he was charging _Black Steel_ on her behalf.

She had only an instant to wonder if she should order him to stop before, despite his shock, Gajeel transformed his arm into a metal log and whipped it up as a shield just before Natsu crashed headlong into him.

"That was quite a roar you got there." Gajeel purred mockingly at Natsu, "You wanna tell me where you learned how to do it?"

Natsu didn't answer. He just snarled and snapped at Gajeel's face, a tell-tale red flicker starting to glow at the back of his throat.

Gajeel's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected _that_ at all, and he hastily kicked the demon away from him again.

"That ain't real nice." He rumbled while Natsu hissed and picked himself back up, switching tactics to focus more firmly on the greater threat, "You sure you don't wanna talk? I'm curious now." He paused for barely a moment, "No? Well then, maybe I just need to _make_ you talk!"

He launched an attack at Natsu, but the demon dodged it with ease, proving that he was more than capable of learning from his fights, and in seconds the two were engaged in one of the roughest fights Lucy had ever seen.

Lucy knew END was capable of cleaving a whole paths through both allies and enemies alike when he fought indiscriminately. But at the moment, it looked like he had no interest in going all out.

He snarled, jumping back from a spray of metal spikes to land on the balls of his feet. When he took a moment to glance over his shoulder at her, Lucy realized why he wasn't attacking Black Steel with all his demonic fury.

Whatever hardwiring was in his head, it prevented him from using his full strength while he believed she would be in the blast radius. And END no doubt had never had to worry about that before.

It explained to her why Gajeel was able to sneak around Natsu's guard and land some hard blows to the demon's ribs or back.

It was a straight up drag out fight. Both men snarling as they dealt out shaking physical blows that splintered the ground and made the earth shake. But despite Gajeel's skill and proficiency in battle, Natsu was quickly regaining the upper hand.

It took Lucy several moments to realize he was learning.

One fight with monsters on the outskirts hadn't been enough for END to remember close quarters combat. It was like he was trying to get back into the swing of how it was done four hundred years ago. And he was doing so with unbelievable speed.

Gajeel seemed to realize the danger he was in too slowly as he swung a scaled-armored claw towards Natsu's head. Unable to react in time, he could only watch as Zeref's demon caught his wrist.

Natsu's eyes flashed a glowing red, lips pulling back to reveal snarling fangs. He had finally gotten his hands on his slippery opponent, and instinctively Lucy already knew that would be the end of the fight.

She struggled through the crowd, shoving fighters out of the way as she tried to get closer to Natsu. Gajeel was a high ranking member of Fairy Tail! If they could taken anyone alive, it had to be _him_!

Natsu roared in Gajeel's face and yanked forward hard, flames erupting over the fist enclosed over Gajeel's wrist.

There was a loud snap that Lucy _felt_ rather than heard and Gajeel roared in pain. A tinkle of metal scales dropped to the ground.

But Natsu wasn't finished as he yanked on the arm he had broken, his forehead crashing headlong into Gajeel's.

Dazed, the metal wizard fell backwards, and Natsu crawled forward to grind his knee on Gajeel's sternum. He yanked the broken arm over Gajeel's head, prompting a howl of pain from the wizard, and Lucy could see blood from where the broken armor drip down the man's arm.

A flicker of fire glowed hot in the back of Natsu's throat as he prepared to unleash the full force of hellfire directly in Gajeel's face. Gajeel's eyes widened as he stared death in the face, and Lucy tried to scream out an order for Natsu to stop.

Her voice was snatched away in the tide of the crowd, a stray elbow finding its way into her gut and choking off her command before she got past 'Natsu do-'

However, before death could descend Natsu paused as he caught Gajeel's scent. He blinked a little in surprise, showing more animation outside of battle than he ever had before, and cocked his head at Gajeel.

His brow furrowed in obvious confusion and he made a soft keening whine in the back of his throat in almost inquiry.

That alone was enough to confuse Gajeel as the sound tickled at his memory as something familiar, and his confusion only grew as Natsu leaned over and began sniffing curiously at him.

What was going on?

Not that he was complaining, but shouldn't he have been turned into ash by now?

That was when he caught a scent that shocked him numb as Natsu moved closer. He hadn't paid attention to it during the fight, ignoring it in favor of focusing on not getting killed, but now that he had a chance to think about it...

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, having finally managed to shove her way back to their side in the wake of their fight, "Don't kill him. I want to take him prisoner."

Natsu's gaze shifted to her and he cocked his head with an uncertainty that had Lucy sighing. No doubt he'd never been told to spare someone, and didn't quite understand the order.

"Stand down Natsu." She reinforced, "I want him alive."

Gajeel found himself staring back up at the disturbingly blank, if still slightly confused, expression before Natsu got up, shook himself off, and trotted over to join his mistress.

A mistress who proceeded to slap magic suppression cuffs on him with only enough sympathy for his broken arm that she didn't yank it behind his back, and an angry look on her face.

"Because of you and your _guildmates_ we have dozens of wounded and possibly more than one dead." She hissed, "And I'm going to make sure you and the others we've captured pay for every single one of those lost or disrupted lives."

"You're making a mistake blondie," Gajeel grunted as Lucy dragged him to his feet. He towered over her, but to the woman's credit, she didn't flinch at his imposing stature.

It seemed like she was made out of tougher stuff than she looked. It was a shame she was on the wrong side.

"I ain't gonna tell you what you want to know," Gajeel's lips curled at the corners. Red eyes bore into Lucy's, "Fairy Tail was helpin' stop Twilight Ogre. Maybe if you Knights tried to do your jobs for a change, you wouldn't have this mess on your conscience."

His lips curled to reveal sharp fangs similar to Natsu's, his dark red eyes glinting eerily. For a moment Lucy thought he was demon instead of man.

"Because it sure as hell ain't on mine," Gajeel growled.

Lucy hissed again, this time yanking hard on his arms, feeling a little bit of savage satisfaction at his pained grunt as she shoved him towards the center where they were holding their captives. Natsu followed her obediently, his head on the swivel to guard her back.

It was unnecessary for the most part. Aside from a few blasts with magic, the uprising seemed to be crushed for the moment. The stragglers that tried to get to Lucy were dealt with quickly by her own magic.

She took them down so fast Natsu didn't even blink past his vacant expression as Lucy shoved Gajeel into a makeshift metal ring, courtesy of Levy, for their prisoners.

"You guild members never take responsibility for your actions." Lucy spat at him, anger boiling up in her. She barely noticed as Natsu's warm presence stood behind her, safeguarding her from anyone, "The world is going to hell outside the city gates but your precious guild, and those like you, are tearing apart what's left of humanity inside the walls."

A frustrating smile flashed over the dark man's face. His wild hair was loose around his face and a smear of blood decorated his cheek. But despite his situation, Lucy had a feeling he was precisely where he wanted to be.

"The view from the top must be pretty white and black, huh blondie?" Gajeel said, his voice knowing but somewhat evasive.

Before an acidic response could boil out from Lucy at his superior tone, she felt a warm brush against her shoulder.

She blinked, glancing to the side to where Natsu had stepped closer. His shoulder had bumped lightly into hers, even as his vacant expression was locked on Gajeel.

It had the effect of calming her down and she took a deep breath to center herself.

"You're right," Lucy lifted her chin with all the regal air she could muster, "From here. The view looks pretty good."

She turned, catching sight of a somewhat dirty-faced Levy nearby.

"Levy," she called and beckoned her friend forward, "Keep an eye on the prisoner for now. We'll be getting him ready for transport soon."

She hid a smile.

They finally had a high ranking member of Fairy Tail in their custody. It wouldn't be long before the whole guild was made to answer for its crimes.

* * *

 _ **Thank you to everyone who reviewed!**_

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* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUAL A SNEAK PEEK_**

 _The redhead's eyebrow twitched, "Gajeel…" She said in a strained voice, "Don't tell me you actually got into a fight with END?"_

 _"I'm afraid he did more than that." Another voice sighed as a blue haired man stepped out of a side room, "I just spoke with one of our agents and found out that Gajeel threatened Lucy Heartfilia and END, sorry Natsu as he's called now, attacked in defense of his mistress. It was she who captured him."_

 _"Gajeel! How could you be so reckless? You know that Lucy Heartfilia is a no touch target! However warped her perceptions of guilds might be, she is one of the few Knights that takes her role seriously and strives to protect this city!"_


	5. Fairies

Sorry again for the late update! I crashed last night and wasn't resurfacing any time soon! As always, everyone has been very supportive about this fic! We're so glad everyone seems to be liking it so far! Mslead has been doing art for the fic on her tumblr account, so check it out sometime if you're interested!

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS - Post, Break, Break, Post, etc**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 5**_

 _ **Fairies**_

 _Fairy_ _ **,**_ _also spelled faerie or faery, a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans_

* * *

Lucy looked up sharply from where she'd been coordinating the cleanup and prisoner round up with Gray as a sharp scream split the air.

"That was Levy's voice." Gray whispered, and the partners leapt into motion as they sprinted back over to where Levy had been guarding their only Fairy Tail prisoner.

Except he was no longer a prisoner.

"What the-?!" Gray exclaimed as Lucy rushed to Levy's side.

"See if you can find him!" Lucy told her partner, "He's still weak from his fight with Natsu. I'll take care of Levy."

"Right." Gray nodded and sprinted off while Lucy gently helped her friend up.

"Levy are you alright?" She asked in concern, wincing a bit at how badly her friend's back was torn up, "Damn. It looks like he got you with that weird shrapnel breath attack of his. Hold still."

She peered a little more closely at the wounds, and sighed in relief that most of them appeared to be shallow, and some weren't even bleeding, "It's not as bad as it looks." She reported, "You'll probably want one of the medics to look at you, but none of them look deep."

"That's good to know." Levy breathed as she got to her feet with a wince, "I'm sorry Lu... I wasn't expecting him to do that."

Lucy frowned, "He shouldn't have been able to." She replied, "Those were magic suppression cuffs. How did he get around them?"

Levy coughed a little, "Um... I think he ate them."

Lucy's brain ground to a halt and she stared at Levy blankly, "I'm sorry... did you just say he _ate_ his cuffs?"

Levy nodded, "Yeah. I heard the sound of metal screeching, and started to turn around, but before I could he got me. I got a glimpse just before he ran off though, and he was chewing on the metal like Natsu does fire."

Lucy shivered at the thought, "What is he?" She whispered, "Some kind of demon?"

"What kind of demon _eats_ elements?" Levy asked, but immediately bobbed her head with a grimace, "Except Natsu."

"None that I know of, but if Natsu can then maybe...?"

Levy shook her head, "No way. I haven't finished translating my notes on Natsu, but I can promise he was singular. Whatever magic Gajeel practices he's not a demon."

"Maybe not." Lucy's frown deepened, "But I'd like to find out what he _is_ then."

She shook herself, "C'mon, we can worry about it later. Let's get you to the medics. With luck Gray should catch him and we can find out just what kind of magic he practices."

Though she was afraid it was already too late. Those Fairy Tail bastards were as slippery as eels and knew every corner of Magnolia. The odds were excellent that Gajeel had already slunk into one of their hidey holes, and wouldn't surface again for a good while.

-::-

Under Magnolia there was a network of tunnels known only to a few select members of the guild. Several of which lead from the surface down under the city.

It was one of these tunnels Gajeel took to a latch just outside a hole in the wall old bar. For everyone who looked, it was an unassuming shit hole for drunks to pass the time.

Lumen Historie.

Gajeel smirked at the name, unable to stop himself from feeling a few shreds of amusement every time he caught sight of it. Even with a wrist that was no doubt broken in two places, it was hard not to find the humor in it.

Lumen Historie was the most plain bar in the district, but it always seemed to gather a hearty clientele and the people around it were very loyal.

Without the support of the people, their guild would have nothing to fight for after all.

He began to walk towards the door when he spotted two kids squatting down outside, both dirty and caked with a reddish crust around their mouths. Between them was a dead rat. One they had to share.

Gajeel's stomach churned at the sight and a flicker of anger flashed through him.

He wasted no time approaching the kids, lumbering over them. Gajeel knew he must have made quite a terrifying sight covered in blood and dirt himself and wearing a perpetual scowl, but the two kids were so malnourished and tired they barely flinched.

"Want some grub ya runts?" Gajeel grunted at them, keeping his broken wrist close to his chest. He was always a little wary of pickpockets, well aware by now of how they operated, but he didn't have to trust these kids to know they wouldn't last another day on the street without help.

The cautious hope on their face at his words made him sick, but they still hesitated.

At least until he twisted his arm around to show his Fairy Tail shield, branded on his left shoulder.

At once their faces flooded with a joy and excitement that almost made Gajeel smile, and he held his good hand out to them.

The children eagerly grasped it and he led them into the bar, "Found a couple 'o runts that need feedin'." He grunted at the barkeep and bit back a smirk at the shiner the man was sporting. Someone had nailed him pretty good.

"That so?" Max replied, shooting the kids a friendly grin, "Well they're welcome to a meal as usual. And if they want more Mira's always needing more kids for the network."

The two children glanced at each other in disbelief, and Gajeel could sympathize. The Fairy Tail network was famous in the slums. Decent food, clothes, and a place to sleep in exchange for helping the guild with information, or courier jobs. Often the kids would join the guild itself when they were older if they proved magical, and those that didn't tended to become their very loyal network of adult suppliers.

For a pair of brats like these, landing a place on the network was like him getting a house on Strawberry Street.

"Thank you sir." One of the children, a girl Gajeel guessed, murmured, "We'll work hard. I promise."

He snorted, "You ain't workin' 'til you see Porlyusica, an' she clears you." He retorted, "An' don't forget it."

"And seeing Porlyusica is something _you_ should be doing about now." Max snorted, "You look like a torn up side of beef."

Gajeel shot him a scowl, but didn't reply as he stomped off to the back rooms. Seeing Porlyusica was already on his agenda, but he had more important things to do first.

Confident the kids would be in good hands, he kicked open the back door to the wine cellar. Heavy footfalls announced his presence as he took the stairs two at a time.

The door automatically closed behind him and Gajeel's eyes naturally adjusted to the dim lighting. Nose twitching, he could pick up the heavy scent of booze covering every inch of the cellar. Which was expected, but even so he was fairly certain even some of their more hardy drunks would get tipsy off the stuff in the air alone.

When he got to the landing, a little further into the room he saw a table with a large map spread out in front of them. Wine bottles were rolled over every corner to keep the map flat, and several people were already crowded over it.

All of them looked up at his approach and Gajeel scowled at them all. Especially the red head who was giving him such a disapproving glare. It felt like his soul was already shriveling up in retreat.

"You're injured Gajeel, you should be in the infirmary with Porlyusica." the woman said with not a small amount of harshness, "Don't tell me you got captured?"

Gajeel's scowl deepened, "Ain't _my_ fault blondie's pet demon went berserk." He grumbled as he stomped over to a chair, "Pinky looks like no one's home, but he's good enough at fightin'."

The redhead's eyebrow twitched, "Gajeel..." She said in a strained voice, "Don't tell me you actually got into a fight with END?"

"I'm afraid he did more than that." Another voice sighed as a blue haired man stepped out of a side room, "I just spoke with one of our agents and found out that Gajeel threatened Lucy Heartfilia and END, sorry, _Natsu_ as he's called now, attacked in defense of his mistress. It was she who captured him."

"Gajeel! How could you be so reckless? You _know_ that Lucy Heartfilia is a no touch target! However warped her perceptions of guilds might be, she is one of the few Knights that takes her role seriously and strives to protect this city!"

"Hey, I didn't threaten to do anything to her!" Gajeel protested hotly, "I just told her to get out of the way before she got hurt!"

He jutted out his lower jaw in a clear show of childish unrepentance, "'Sides, that demon wasn't so tough. He was hardly scarier than you Erza."

The last part was muttered under his breath, but the red head heard it all the same. The woman stepped out into the light, the yellow bulb casting an orange hue over her glittering armor. She was a Knight unlike any kind that would be found in the council's pocket.

"Jellal, hold him. I believe his arms are looking a little uneven. I want to remedy that problem," Erza's eyes fell to Gajeel's good arm. The metal mage instinctively flinched it up to his chest as If to protect it and pouted out a muttered apology under his breath.

"What else did you learn from your trip out Gajeel, besides how to take a punch?" Another voice spoke out from the table, a woman with brown curly hair falling in long locks around her face. She had a wine bottle tipped between her lips and the drunken smile she flashed him was nothing short of amused.

"Cana, I thought I smelled a winery down here, hard to tell with all the booze already around, but yours is a unique scent," Gajeel's eyes narrowed at the woman, but he smirked right back at her.

"I did get some information out of my skirmish with the council's demon. END is... not what they think he is," Gajeel walked over to the table and kicked out a chair.

He sank down on it with a tired groan, his weary body gladly melting into the wood. The seat could have been made out of nails and broken glass for all he cared, it felt like absolute heaven on his back.

Erza exchanged a questioning look with Jellal and the latter slid towards the table with a frightening grace.

"What is it you found out Gajeel?" He asked, voice hesitant on what other information he could have possibly gleaned about END - Natsu in less time than they had been able to scour.

The red eyed mage looked down at his hands, and again back at the swelling wrist that looked like it was starting to turn an ugly shade of purple. Gajeel propped it up on the table and gave it a firm look, as if it were a misbehaving pet and it being broken was just a minor inconvenience.

Although sometimes Jellal never knew with him. The man could take an obscene amount of punishment.

He supposed the fact that he walked away alive from a fight with END was proof enough of that.

Gajeel took that moment to look up, his eyes fixating on both him and Erza.

"It's gonna sound weird," Gajeel said hesitantly, "And the bastard sure as hell doesn't have anything but a rats nest of cotton balls between his ears - but when I looked at him, I thought I saw-"

Cana thumped her bottle against the table, leaning in close to the man who rolled his eyes and scooted back, "Out with it Redfox! Don't keep us in suspense!"

"He smelled like a dragon alright!" Gajeel snapped irritably.

All motion in the room stopped at that proclamation as everyone stared at him in shock.

"He... what?" Erza asked in a stunned whisper.

Gajeel shrugged, "I dunno, it was strange. The scent was faint. An' mixed with demon. But it was there. And his eyes were all dragon. Slit pupils and gold."

"But how is that possible?" Cana asked, "The dragons withdrew from the war and refused to fight either for or against the humans."

Gajeel shrugged again, "End's been missin' since the early part of the war." He pointed out, "Maybe he got a little dragon in him when he was made. Or maybe I'm wrong. Who knows what that freak Zeref modeled his weapon on."

He ignored the second part of Cana's statement. He'd heard the stories about what had caused the dragons to withdraw growing up, and had promised Metallicana he wouldn't say anything. It was a promise he fully intended to keep.

Especially since it would do no real good to tell it.

"Anything's possible." Jellal mused, "But it's telling that he has dragon traits strong enough to alert a dragonslayer. We'll have to see what can be found out about this."

"Agreed." Erza replied, "But we should keep this quiet. We don't want to accidentally tip off our enemies."

She turned her stern expression onto Gajeel, "In the meantime, you should get to the infirmary so those wounds can be healed Gajeel."

Gajeel snorted and levered himself out of his chair, "Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'. But you really oughta think about doing something about that Heartfilia chick. She might be a good Knight, but she's got a real hate for guilds. Don't matter if they're good or bad."

"That would be nearly impossible at this point." Jellal sighed, "Our agent is working on it, but hasn't told us what's triggered her hatred for guilds. Without that information any approach we might make would be unlikely to go over well."

Gajeel grunted, wincing as his movements jostled his injuries, "Be as that may. We can't let her or the demon, END, Natsu, or whatever the hell the little shit goes by, stay in the council's care."

"We know they don't got anything nice planned for him," Gajeel flashed a glance over his shoulder as he headed back to the stairs, "And if the council gets their hands on him and something jars loose in his head where he remembers he's the scourge of humanity - we don't stand a chance."

With those parting words, he trudged back up the stairs as Erza and Jellal shot one another looks.

Erza glanced over at Cana, her hand automatically reaching out for Jellal's. Their fingers found one another without looking as Jellal closed the space between them, their shoulders a foot apart.

"Cana will you-?"

"Get the plans ready for a recovery of Heartfilia and her pet?" Cana seemed to have sobered up quite a bit by the direction the conversation took. She too got up and headed towards the exit.

"I've got it handled," She waved her bottle and followed up after Gajeel, leaving Jellal and Erza alone in the dim room.

Erza tugged on his hand, feeling comforted when his gaze automatically found hers.

They said nothing for a great while, their words communicating on another level. One borne of exhaustion and a constant fight for survival.

Slowly, Erza's hand slipped from Jellal's and he looked away, unspoken novels laying out between the two leaders. Erza gave Jellal a sad smile, her armored hand lifting to squeeze his shoulder.

"Whatever comes next Jellal," she breathed, "Please be careful."

He met her gaze and nodded, reaching between them to catch a lock of scarlet hair between his fingertips. Refusing to break her gaze, he brought the lock up to his lips, a gentle grazing across the silky hair.

Erza suppressed a shiver as he let it slip free and her heart raced at the smile tugging at his lips.

"Am I not always?" He asked, already backing up to the door.

Huffing at a bit of his sly humor, Erza's cheeks burned a color of rose and she crossed her arms. Shooting Jellal a sour look, she bit her lip.

"That remains to be seen," she said, voice sharp.

With one last chuckle, Jellal disappeared, leaving Erza with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

After all, Jellal had made no such promises to be careful. Not that he could.

For what was about to happen - they were going to need every hand in Fairy Tail's entire network pulling together.

No one was really safe anymore.

Not from the demons, not from the council, and especially not from END.

* * *

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* * *

_**30 REVIEWS EQUAL A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _His eyes were dimming rapidly, and she suspected whatever they were using must work faster on demons than humans._

 _There were some ranchers that used old beekeeping techniques on demons. And it seemed like those were being employed here._

 _His eyes drowsily met hers from where he was slumping down against the wall, blood trickling down his arm. Lucy grasped her keys tightly with one hand, and squeezed his bleeding wrist with the other._

 _He blinked at her rapidly, brows furrowing together as she squeezed his wrist again, this time to stem the bleeding._

 _"It's okay Natsu," she soothed as she saw him struggling to get up, "I'll get us out of this."_


	6. Pixies

We were asked about the wording of our update schedule where I say we update once every two days. Yes, it can be interpreted to mean Every other Day. But that's also the reason we don't say 'We update every other day.' It's two days between the posts.

Please, I beg you. In Parallels we had so many people talking more about the update schedule than the actual content of the chapters. I'm going to address this JUST ONCE. So please, please, please, please, for the sake of my sanity, let the weird way I phrase update schedules go. Please?

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS. Post, Break, Break, Post, etc...**_

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 6_**

 ** _Pixies_**

 _a supernatural being in folklore and children's stories, typically portrayed as small and humanlike in form, with pointed ears and a pointed hat, and mischievous in character._

* * *

Lucy sighed in relief as she sank down onto her cushy sofa. It had been a very long couple of days after the mess in the square. Not only had Gajeel escaped, but she and Gray had needed to deal with the cleanup as well. Several of the wounded or dead had been poor and so devastated by the attack. She'd managed to direct several to various charities that would help, but several more hadn't been so lucky.

For those she'd pulled money straight from her personal coffers.

An action that had granted her several more hours of work to be sure, but it had been more than worth it in her mind.

Her mother had clawed her own way to the top, and had made sure Lucy understood that the wealthy had a duty to help those in need wherever they could.

It was something she followed with almost religious fever.

She was just lucky that the Heartfilia income was self-sustainable, and she had people she could trust in charge of the business side of things.

She shoved her thoughts away and debated pulling herself out of her inviting sofa to make something hot to drink when a mug of hot chocolate suddenly appeared in her line of vision. A mug that was being held by Natsu.

She blinked at the demon in surprise and then smiled a little as she accepted the mug, "Thanks Natsu." She replied, and raised an eyebrow when he cocked his head slightly at her.

Was it her imagination or was he looking at her with more life than he'd ever displayed outside of battle?

It was hard to tell, but it really looked like there was a spark of _something_ in the back of his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Do you want to join me?" She ventured after a moment.

He cocked his head the other way, a faintly puzzled expression sliding over his face, before he slowly turned and sat down beside her.

Lucy had discovered that saying commands as questions such as 'would you like to-' tended to confuse Natsu. She wasn't sure he understood what a 'want' was, but he seemed like he was able to read into the implied command behind it.

His weight shifted down besides her, causing the cushion to compress when he edged in close to her.

Like it tended to lately, Natsu's warm weight draped itself over Lucy's side, his chin pressing lightly into the side of her head.

She didn't even flinch away when his heavy form dropped near her. As strange as it was, Lucy was starting to get used to the oddness of Natsu's impromptu snuggles.

Whenever he thought she was cold he did this. Whether it was to curl up next to her, or to provide her a blanket. He functioned almost like a source of heat.

Of course his very presence disturbed the foundation of her life, so Lucy really didn't find it in her heart to feel guilty about him doing nice things like this every now and then.

She noticed him staring at the cup of hot chocolate in her hand, with almost a curious look in his eyes, and feeling sparingly generous, she tipped it to his face.

"Do you want a sip?" She asked.

Of course he cocked his head at her in that way he tended to do when he was confused or acknowledging he heard her command. It seemed he didn't understand the context of what she was saying though, so she pressed the rim against his lips very gently.

She didn't think he had hot chocolate before.

Natsu blinked, a flicker of actual surprise crossing his face as he realized just what his mistress wanted. He reached up to gently grasp Lucy's hand, startling her a little in the process, to steady her hand and carefully wrapped his lips around the mug to take a tentative sip.

For some reason Lucy half expected him to react badly as the chocolate was still scalding hot, but he didn't. Instead he blinked slowly as he seemed to absorb the flavor of the drink, and after a glance at her carefully bent his head to take another, bigger, sip.

Lucy stared at him in astonishment. That was... the most animated she'd ever seen him by far. It wasn't speech or anything, but it was proof there was _something_ going on behind his blank expression.

"Do you like it?" She asked tentatively, not sure if he would actually respond in any way.

However, before he could respond he abruptly jerked away and shot to his feet with a dark scowl.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked warily, reaching instinctively for her keys.

He was glaring around the room, an angry growl rumbling in his chest, and his nose going a mile a minute. Something had set him off. Though she couldn't imagine what. They were in the Knight's quarters in one of the most secure buildings in Magnolia.

Natsu snarled, uncaring of the hot chocolate splattering against the blanket. He reached for Lucy, tugging her up to her feet.

As usual she had no idea what he was doing, and was even more confused when he wrapped the blanket around her head, stifling over her nose. He left her eyes free to see, but all she could see was him apparently stalking towards the air.

His hands balled into fists, and smoke trickled from his mouth, but for whatever reason he didn't light his flames like he normally would have.

It took her a second to realize he was actually heading for the window, and in that same moment Lucy also realized just what Natsu's far more sensitive nose had picked up before hers.

Gas.

No wonder he didn't light his flames. No wonder he had wrapped her face in the blanket. No wonder he was now pushing against the window because of an enemy he couldn't fight.

His body swayed, movements thickening as he reared a hand back. His fist shattered through the window pane, just as Lucy's brain kicked in enough to realize there was no alarm, or shouts from her neighbors. This was targeted at them specifically.

Which meant this was planned.

Taking Natsu on head first was not an easy victory. They had to make him disoriented, unable to fight.

Easy to pick up.

Someone wanted Natsu.

That was the only explanation behind it.

Her blood ran cold at the thought.

Lucy watched as Natsu's eyelids dropped, his wrist resting on the jagged window pane as he sunk down to the ground. A long slice pulled at his skin as he dragged his arm free from the shattered glass, and Lucy rushed over to him quickly.

His eyes were dimming rapidly, and she suspected whatever they were using must work faster on demons than humans.

There were some ranchers that used old beekeeping techniques on demons with surprising success. And it seemed like those were what were part of what was being employed here.

His eyes drowsily met hers from where he was slumping down against the wall, blood trickling down his arm. Lucy grasped her keys tightly with one hand, and squeezed his bleeding wrist with the other.

He blinked at her rapidly, brows furrowing together as she squeezed his wrist again, this time to stem the bleeding.

"It's okay Natsu," she soothed as she saw him struggling to get up, "I'll get us out of this."

She flipped to the key she wanted most with practiced ease, and slashed it through the air, "Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" She called, and flashed a grin as Taurus appeared and his stardress formed around her automatically, "Taurus, someone's trying to gas us. Can you give us an exit?"

"Can do Mmmmmmiss Luuuucy!" Taurus mooed after a moment of obviously ogling her form. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Some things would never change.

Thankfully, Taurus wasn't inclined to dawdle as he pulled his axe and bashed it against the wall the window had been on with all his strength. Which, predictably, took out the whole wall.

Her superiors were going to have a fit over the damage.

However, the gust of fresh air that brought in helped perk Natsu back up, so it was worth it in her opinion.

Unfortunately it also brought out the ones who had been trying to gas them in the first place.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the lead brunette and her prominent Fairy Tail mark, "Fairy Tail's after Natsu huh?" She growled, handing the woozy demon over to Taurus, and pulled her whip taut, "Well you're not getting him!"

She felt a trickle of old anger, boiling down into her bones. This was just like what had happened to her with Phantom Lord all those years ago. This is what guilds did to people who couldn't defend themselves. They wanted to take someone and profit off their wealth, or in this case Natsu's abilities.

Lucy would not let them have him.

"We'll just have to see about that won't we?" Cana smirked back as she expertly spread several cards in her hand, "Card magic!"

Lucy had never seen card magic in action before, but it as one crackled with lightning as it sailed towards her it wasn't hard to figure out what kind of magic it was. Lucy scowled darkly as she lunged out of the way and cracked her whip forcefully at the group of guild mages.

There were several satisfying yelps as the ground shook and dust and debris filled the air, but it was unlikely that was going to be enough to deter her captors for long. This woman, Cana Alberona if she wasn't mistaken, was an S class wizard in her own right. And there was no telling how powerful the people she'd brought with her were.

At least her attack should've alerted everyone else in the building there was a problem.

Cana certainly proved she wasn't just a Fairy Tail lackey a moment later when she threw her cards wide, missing Lucy completely.

Of course when Lucy turned, completely baffled over how Cana could miss, she realized she had done the wide toss on purpose. The mage snapped her fingers, her lips curving into a saucy smile.

"You're a tricky one, aren't ya Miss Heartfilia?" Cana pointed behind her at where the cards were plastered over Natsu's drowsy form, "Lets play nice, shall we? It'll just go by better for everyone."

The cards were flipped over, their backs facing Lucy so she couldn't see what was on the other side. But Lucy tensed.

Logically she knew Natsu was a weapon and capable of taking a blast to the face, but something in her stopped still at the thought of letting whatever magic Cana had up her sleeve go off and damaging him.

The thought of his curious face as he sipped hot chocolate flooded into her mind, making her heart wrench in terror.

"Natsu!" She growled and glared back at the woman, who was shuffling a deck of cards, almost lazily, "You're the one not playing nice! Get those things off him!"

Cana tsk'd and pointed at Lucy, "I'm not the one dressed like a cow and breaking apart the building. So sue me for having a little bit of insurance."

She wagged a finger and held up the deck, "How about it Miss Knight? I'll drop my magic if you drop yours?" Her eyebrows waggled.

Lucy made a growling sound that might have made Natsu proud if he even knew what the emotion was.

Reluctantly, she beckoned for Taurus to set Natsu down and closed the gate. She didn't release her grip on her keys though, her magic just at a hairsbreadth away.

"Atta girl," Cana grinned, holding her deck up and the cards flapping away from Natsu and spinning back into her hand. She could see a bright red, sparkly heart on the side.

There were little smears of glitter on Natsu's cheeks, and Lucy felt as if she had been duped. Those cards were dummies. Nothing more than children's cards sometimes given out as party favors.

"You!" Lucy gasped and jerked her hand up.

"Now now! You don't _really_ want to fight me do you? Not that it will matter in a minute. You've already gummed up my kidnapping attempt by making all that noise," Cana scowled at her, "And to think we were trying to do you a _favor_!"

Lucy snorted derisively, "A favor?" She mocked, her knuckles whitening as her grip on her keys tightened, "Is that what you call trying to kidnap Natsu and me?" She glared darkly at the other woman, "Don't make me laugh Alberona. You guilds are all alike. You wouldn't hesitate to lock me in a cell to rot or ransom back, and you'd try to use Natsu as a weapon in your constant guild wars."

Cana's scowl sharpened at Lucy's bitter words, "Oh like you can talk!" She snapped back, "Your precious council is going to use _Natsu_ as a weapon too you know!"

"At least that will be against the demons trying to destroy us!" Lucy retorted sharply, "Something, I note, no _guild_ seems to care about!"

Cana frowned. Lucy's bitter hatred of guilds seemed to run even more deeply than their agents had let on. Was there some kind of personal vendetta there? It certainly sounded like it. Most Knights might dislike guilds, but whatever Lucy's problem was it seemed like it was personal in nature.

Unfortunately, that made it unlikely she would be able to get through to the Knight before the footsteps she could hear in the distance got to them.

"I very much doubt you have any idea what the good guilds care about." She told Lucy as she backed up a little, signaling her team to leave, "And I don't have time to explain it to you either."

She held up a card, "But I'll leave you with this Lucy Heartfilia... why would guilds exist in the first place if the Council was as rosy as you seem to think it is? Think about that. And watch your back. You might find a knife in it before long."

She launched the card, creating a smoke screen that left Lucy coughing just as Gray and several others joined her.

"Lucy!" Gray called out as he shoved his way through the smoke screen, fanning his arms out to try and clear it up.

Lucy was waving her hand in front of her face as the smoke finally began to clear, leaving the wreckage of her home in its wake.

"Yeah Gray," she walked over to Natsu, who was finally starting to sit up. He was lifting his bloody hand in the air as if confused as to what to do with it, and Lucy took his hand.

His eyes met hers and Lucy thought maybe he was trying to reassure himself that his mistress was in one piece while he was unable to fight for her.

She didn't need the help, but it was nice to know it was there if the situation arose. Still, she wondered what Natsu thought about being a hostage - if he could think at all. Something she was seriously beginning to think might be possible.

"Was that Fairy Tail?" Gray demanded, his eyes scanning over and around, no doubt being thorough in his inspection for traps.

"Yeah, they were trying to make a play for Natsu, and me by extension," Lucy grumbled as she turned Natsu's hand over. There was a long gash from where the glass had cut him deeply, and she cringed in sympathy.

Natsu didn't even flinch as she ran light fingers around the wound, gently prodding the sluggish stream, "I'll answer your questions in a second though, although the story is pretty straight forward. I need to get Natsu's wrist bandaged."

"What a great watchdog," Gray drawled lightly, and nearly jolted a foot backwards when Natsu's eyes flashed towards him for a second and he _growled_.

"I don't think he liked that Gray." Lucy smirked without looking up from her task.

"Since when does he not like things?" Gray demanded, a little unnerved by the unexpected reaction, "He's been a vegetable except when he's fighting or eating since you found him."

Lucy shrugged a little, "Maybe his sensitivity is growing the longer we're bonded." She replied and finished tying off the bandage, "Better Natsu?" She asked him with a small smile and gently ran her fingers over the non-wounded side of his arm.

He cocked his head slightly and whined softly, surprising her a little. It wasn't the same whine as his hunger one for fire. Maybe it was because he'd gotten hurt?

That made sense. He _was_ flesh and bone after all. And no matter how sturdy he was, getting hurt had to well... _hurt_.

She smiled at him, "Don't worry." She soothed, "You'll be fine. Just leave the bandage alone while it heals alright?"

Natsu blinked slowly and then dipped his head in acknowledgment.

Satisfied that Natsu would be fine she straightened up and faced Gray with a sigh, "Alright. That should be good enough for now..."

"Captain Heartfilia!" A frog messenger spoke imperiously as she pushed her way through the crowd, "The council demands a report of this incident at once!"

Lucy barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn't like the frog messengers the council favored. They were entirely too stuck up in her opinion, and some of them were definitely power trippy if the rumors about the prison were to be believed. Exactly the kind of people she'd always hated most.

Though she was careful to keep that hatred to herself.

"I was about to brief my partner." She replied, studiously ignoring Gray's smirk at the faint sarcasm that apparently sailed right past the frog's head, "You're more than welcome to join us. Unless the council demands the report in person?"

Gray suddenly clutched his stomach as he was wracked with 'coughs' that didn't fool her one bit. She ignored those too, but it took all of her willpower to do so. The look on the frog's face was hilarious.

He spluttered out something and thumped his staff into the ground once more. Much to Lucy's surprise, the frog straightened up and shuffled backwards.

"No! I mean, uh. Just make sure that you send your report in to them as soon as possible! They want to make sure their investment will come to fruition." He sneered.

The reptile's eyes dropped down to Natsu, who was once more staring blankly at the floor, seemingly unaware that he was sitting in a pile of rebar.

Gray scowled as the frog picked his way over the debris of their quarters and crossed his arms.

"Their 'investment' huh?" Gray sneered, "Looks like they're not happy about Fairy Tail being bold enough to gate crash the council itself."

Lucy sighed and glanced over at where Natsu was seating, his eyes lazily tracking a moth.

"He may not look like much, but I think they're going to be very sorry they pushed the council's hand on this one," Lucy murmured, her brow creasing.

She watched Natsu lift a hand up, his fingers grasping towards the moth which fluttered just out of his grasp.

A flicker of concern for the demon pushed through her chest, and Lucy had to remind herself - for the hundredth time, that he was not someone she should really have pity for.

He listened to her only because he _had_ to. If he was bound to anyone else, their story would be completely different.

Furthermore, he was the demon that had set their path into destruction.

And yet she couldn't help feeling protective of him.

There was no doubt that Natsu had worked hard to protect her more than once, and even if it was just programming on his part she appreciated it.

She shook her head a little, not wanting to think about it more in the wake of the attack, "Can we head to your quarters?" She asked, "I know you don't use them much, but they're close and private."

Gray nodded, "Sure thing." He replied as they started moving in that direction, "And you can stay there tonight since yours are trashed. There's room to spare." He frowned for a moment and pulled out his phone, quickly dialing his girlfriend, "Juvia?" He said as soon as she picked up, "Sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it tonight..."

Lucy blinked, "No Gray!" She protested, "You don't have to do that! I doubt they'll try again, and I'll be fine..."

Gray scowled a little at her, "Lucy, Fairy Tail attacked you in the council building. You're my partner. Do you seriously think I'm going to leave you alone tonight after that?"

Natsu let out a sound that was somewhere between a huff and a growl at that, prompting both

Knights to look at him.

"Is he... sulking?" Gray asked in shock as he stared at the demon, but whatever might've been there had already vanished and Natsu's expression was blank again.

"Maybe you offended him." Lucy suggested and shook her head, "Seriously Gray, I'll be fine. The odds of them trying again are low, and I'm not leaving the council building. It'll be easy to raise an alarm if something _does_ happen."

Juvia's voice sounded on the other side of the phone, though Lucy couldn't make out what the other woman was saying, and in the end Gray sighed reluctantly, "Alright. But _promise_ me you'll call right away if there's a problem!"

Lucy smiled and nodded, privately relieved that Gray wouldn't be staying. She cared for him a lot, but the last thing she wanted was him prowling around restlessly while she tried to relax.

He quickly said goodbye to Juvia, and hung up as they got there, "Now, before I go, tell me the details of what happened."

* * *

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 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUAL A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _It was a couple of days after the attack at Lucy's, and she had been called in to speak with the council. In private._

 _Gray's stomach flopped uncomfortably at the thought, knowing full well that was never a good sign. Whenever the council felt the need to be secretive, it rarely spelled good news._

 _And unfortunately, with Lucy in the position she was in, that made her a large target._

 _So that left Gray sitting on his hands in the hallway, waiting for his partner to get out of the meeting with the council. His only source of company was..._

 _Natsu._

 _His lip curled in annoyance at the blank faced demon sitting across from him._

 _At the moment he looked normal, but Gray could swear the bastard was making faces at him when he thought he wasn't looking._


	7. Siren

I think you guys are gonna like this one.

Kisses

 _ **THIS STORY UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 7**_

 _ **Siren**_

 _In Greek mythology, the Sirens were beautiful yet dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island._

* * *

Anyone who said those who controlled the element of ice were capable of a profound amount of patience... had obviously never met Gray before.

It was a couple of days after the attack at Lucy's, and she had been called in to speak with the council. In private.

Gray's stomach flopped uncomfortably at the thought, knowing full well that was never a good sign. Whenever the council felt the need to be secretive, it rarely spelled good news.

And unfortunately, with Lucy in the position she was in, that made her a large target.

So that left Gray sitting on his hands in the hallway, waiting for his partner to get out of the meeting with the council. His only source of company was...

Natsu.

His lip curled in annoyance at the blank faced demon sitting across from him.

At the moment he looked normal, but Gray could _swear_ the bastard was making faces at him when he thought he wasn't looking.

Thankfully, he was saved from thinking about it more by the doors opening at last. He shot to his feet immediately, unable to contain his impatience as Lucy emerged with a troubled look on her face.

"Well?" He demanded as soon as she'd joined them, "What did they say?"

"They think they've found a way to transfer the bond I have with Natsu to someone else." Lucy said slowly, her hand curling around Gray's arm as she hustled him and Natsu along to a private corner so they could talk, "He and I are supposed to report to the labs tomorrow morning for the procedure. They think Natsu's adjusted enough he'll be able to cope."

Gray frowned at the anxious look on her face, "But you don't agree?"

Lucy hesitated, "I think Natsu could cope with it fine, but..." She shook her head, "I dunno, that whole meeting had me on edge. It felt like more was being said than what was spoken, but I couldn't tell what."

She rubbed her hands over her arms unconsciously, wishing she understood what her instincts were trying so hard to tell her. Something about that meeting had seriously bothered her though. She just couldn't put her finger on what.

Gray's frown grew more pronounced, "You didn't like what they were saying." It was a statement not a question and they both knew it, "Lucy, if something about this stinks..."

Lucy shifted a bit, "It may be nothing." She interrupted, "It's probably just nerves or something. And besides the council's ordered me. I can't really refuse."

"And what's gonna happen to Natsu?" Gray asked low, not liking the way she was ignoring her gut, but not really able to argue with her either.

Lucy shook her head, "I'm not sure exactly. I know they're going to start testing his limits. Especially now that they know how well he can fight..."

She wasn't comfortable with that either, and it showed, but it wasn't something she could control. She had her orders, and Natsu might be a very sophisticated automaton, but it was clear that was all he was.

At least, that was what she thought until the demon reached out and grasped her wrist in his. The move was so sudden, it took a moment for her to register it was Natsu's hand on her. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look at him, and what she saw there made her stomach curl up.

There was a look of worry like she'd never seen before on his face.

What was more shocking was the way his mouth opened and closed. His brows pulled together, a raspy sound escaping through his teeth.

The first time he tried, nothing happened, but his eyes sharpened with focus as his lips worked through the empty air.

For the first time ever Natsu's mouth moved in something other than a snarl or other noise.

"L-Lucy..." The demon stuttered quietly, obviously unused to speech of any kind, "No." He pulled her closer, frustration marring his brow, "Lucy... no."

Lucy felt as if the whole world had stopped, tilting right off its axis at those trembling words coming from Natsu.

"Shit," Gray swore, his eyes growing wide in shock as he stared at Lucy, "Did he just-"

Having trouble even _understanding_ what was happening, Lucy just stared at Natsu in shock.

The demon's frown deepened and he pressed his message closer, "Lucy _no_." he repeated, this time with what seemed to be an air of petulance.

He could speak.

The thought filled up Lucy's mind entirely as she tried to rationalize how someone, who had previously only stood, staring blankly at a wall and growling, could suddenly say words.

Granted, they were short words, and clumsily spoken... but they were words.

"Natsu, you can speak?" Lucy asked in a surge, setting her hands on his shoulders when she pulled her wrist from his grasp, "How long have you been able to? Always?"

The demon's hazy eyes glinted with bewilderment. And she noticed that his gaze wasn't nearly as vacant as it was in the past. No, how long had sentience slowly been filtering in his eyes?

How long had he been thinking for?

"No?" Natsu made a whining noise, nudging forward to press his nose into her cheek, "Lucy no."

A little alarmed by the fact he had chosen now of all times to speak, her hands lifted to either side of his head and gently held him.

"Don't worry Natsu," Lucy murmured, thinking he was going to miss her. It was the only explanation she could think of as to why he would be so anxious all of a sudden, "You'll be in good hands."

He let loose a ragged sounding whine.

Lucy's heart clenched a little at the sound, and she reached around to gently rub his back, "It's okay Natsu." She soothed, trying not to think about how odd it was for her to be soothing him, "I'll be fine."

"Lucy..." Natsu whimpered, his arms slowly coming around to wrap around her in imitation of her own gesture, "No."

There was an undertone of frustration in his words. As if he was trying to convey more than he was, but didn't know how because he wasn't used to speaking. He looked up at Gray over Lucy's shoulder with a fierce look, but it wasn't an angry glare. Gray could tell the demon was trying to demand something.

To protect Lucy?

"I'll keep an eye on her." He promised.

Natsu huffed out a sigh and buried his nose in Lucy's neck almost petulantly.

Either he wasn't happy with the promise, or he was annoyed he'd had to ask for it. It was kind of hard to tell.

"C'mon Natsu." Lucy encouraged after several moments, "Why don't we head down to the beach again and you can have some fire and ice cream?"

Gray was certain his eyes weren't playing tricks on him as Natsu reluctantly disengaged and shuffled off with considerably less enthusiasm than he usually had when fire was mentioned.

Whatever was going on in the demon's mind he was really upset about this.

-::-

The next day, Lucy was nearing the end of her rope of patience when dealing with Natsu.

He was the very definition of a sulky brat, taking all of her orders literally to the letter. When telling him to get dressed for the day, he simply put on a sock. And when she demanded he put on all of his clothes, he draped them all over his body without actually getting in them.

What was most frustrating was that he didn't even wear socks most of the time as sandals were easier for him to handle.

When it was time for them to get going, he took one step towards the door and spent a whole five minutes lifting his other foot up to walk.

To say she was getting annoyed with him was an understatement, because while his interpretation of her orders was always hit or miss, it seemed like he wasn't even trying today.

If she were honest, Lucy would say most of her anger wasn't coming from Natsu's irritating behavior either. It was out of worry.

She couldn't shake this uneasy feeling in her stomach, but she pushed it aside when she grabbed him by the hand and told him to keep up with her. His hand in hers, she stomped over to the council hall with him in tow.

They were lead into the labs, and Natsu's grip on her hand grew tight, soft growls and whines escaping him as they walked.

He hadn't spoken again since his attempt the previous day, but... Lucy couldn't quite shake it either.

She had gone along with all of this because she thought Natsu was just an empty doll. A golem, tied to her will and all of her orders.

He was only animated because of her magic waking him up.

But she saw he was capable of learning. He was capable of speech - which also meant he had to be capable of thought.

And if he was capable of thought, didn't that mean he felt?

Lucy was uncertain if handing Natsu over to be used as a weapon was a good idea now. He would be used as a tool and nothing more. Experimented on and forced to obey all the council's orders until the day he died.

But wasn't that what he deserved? Lucy's eyes flashed over to the demon, whose eyes travelled over the white walls as if looking for an escape.

He had helped ruin their world...

But Lucy knew more than most, he had been helpless to do anything but follow orders. Just like what he was doing right now. Even if Natsu didn't want to be here, he was compelled to listen.

Suddenly Lucy wondered if they knew the full story about END and Zeref, or the war four hundred years ago that brought their world into its near apocalyptic state.

She was prevented from thinking more on that train when they stopped outside of the lab office and Lucy signed both herself and Natsu in.

"I'll let the doctors know you're here Captain Heartfilia." The receptionist said with a smile, not looking at all uneasy about being in the same room as END, "Just take a seat and they'll be right with you."

Lucy nodded and sat down, pulling Natsu with her, but the doctors must've been anticipating them since no sooner had she ordered him to sit than one came out to greet them with a smile.

"I'm glad you could make it Captain Heartfilia." The man said as he went over to greet them, and held out his hand, "We were starting to worry you wouldn't show up."

Lucy flushed a little at that, "Yeah, sorry about that. Someone," She shot Natsu a glare, "decided to be a brat today."

"Is that so?" The doctor purred, adjusting his glasses, "Fascinating."

He stared at Natsu for a moment, giving the impression he was studying a particularly fascinating species of bug or something, before shaking himself a little, "Well, you're here now, so shall we get started?"

Lucy nodded, "What do we need to do?"

She tried to ignore her increasing reluctance about this. This was the right thing. For both her and Natsu. She was sure of it. She just wished she could convince her gut of that.

"If you would be so kind as to order END to accompany my assistant without a fuss Captain?" The Doctor asked, "She'll take him to the room where he'll be re-linked with his new handler and we'll begin our testing."

Lucy nodded and gave Natsu a firm look, "Natsu, go with this person and do what she asks. Understood?"

Natsu nodded reluctantly at the orders, and turned his attention to the woman where he snarled at her; making her jump.

However, when the assistant moved away Natsu followed. Lucy could tell it was grudging, but he still complied. She shook her head a little and sighed.

"He's been like that all morning."

"Well, we'll find out why." The doctor assured her, "If you will come with me Captain, I'll escort you to the room where we'll deal with your side of the link."

Lucy nodded and walked down a similar hallway that ran parallel to the one Natsu was in. It occurred to her that they would be very close to one another, and she wondered if she would feel anything when their connection was severed.

She trusted the council would find someone that would look after Natsu carefully. After all he could be a handful when he was exploring things.

Waving at him one last time, and Natsu gave her one baleful look over his shoulder before he was guided around a corner and out of sight.

A touch of guilt nagged at her heart, and she pressed her hands against her chest.

She hoped she was doing the right thing.

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* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _There was no mistaking it. The look in his eyes had none of the dullness from before as the pain faded, and he was relieved to see her._

His smile widened into a demonic grin as he hopped to his feet and cracked his knuckles.

He ripped out the IV that had been pumping him full of drugs, his head shaking as he attempted to clear it. Growling, his hand lashed out at once, fingers wrapping around the doctor's throat.

He cocked his head, slanted eyes narrowing as a tick of anger flared within them. Throwing him back into his equipment, Natsu roared out a cone of fire at several people trying to contain him.


	8. Hippogriff

I'm going to tell you all a story. Kytrin and I have written well over ten completed 'stories' together in the past. We only recently decided to share a few of those stories with everyone. It means we have to slow down a lot and look at the story from all angles. Still, we decided to invest the extra time and energy into the story because we thought it would be fun to share with everyone.

We also decided, as fanfiction readers ourselves, to make an update schedule where you guys don't have to wait as long to read the chapters. We have pre-written over thirty chapters in advance and we write _**every single day**_ just for you guys. To stay ahead of the game. All we ask in return is that you guys review and let us know how we're doing.

This doesn't mean you can use the review as a platform to complain about a perceived delay in our update schedule. Yes, we have a set schedule, but we will update when we need to. And if I tell you you're acting out of line, it's because you've offended me. I won't apologize for that.

So again, I will post this like I do in **_every _** chapter. (And hilariously, I thought I was actually clarifying this based off people's questions in the chapter before last, but I guess not?)

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: POST, BREAK, BREAK, POST.**_

 _Please enjoy._

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 8**_

 _ **Hippogriff**_

 _Across many North American indigenous cultures, the thunderbird carries many of the same characteristics. It is described as a large bird, capable of creating storms and thundering while it flies._

* * *

Lucy swallowed thickly when she found herself in an empty room with a chair and no windows.

"It'll just be a moment Captain," the doctor smiled at her, "we need to ensure the demon's side of the link is properly tended to before we attempt to disconnect you on this side."

Lucy blinked at that, a trickle of unease dripping down her spine.

Gray's warning were ringing in her head, how he had talked to her after they got back from the beach. He was worried about her, and she didn't blame him either.

If their places were changed, she would be concerned about him too.

She sank down in the chair, leaning forward on her knees and sighing as time began to tick by.

Round and round her thoughts ran as a couple of minutes bled into half an hour, to an hour. She looked down at her watch several times, wondering what was taking so long.

It was like being in the _actual_ doctors office.

And then she heard it.

The noise was very faint, but almost familiar.

A distant roar, muffled through walls and corridors. It must have been loud to be heard from such a distance.

Gasping, Lucy pressed her ear to the wall, her eyes widening when she recognized the sound of Natsu's pain filled roars crying out from far away.

It sounded hoarse, as if he had been screaming for a while, and Lucy felt ice flood her veins.

How had she not heard it sooner?

She ran to the door and tugged on the handle, fear clouding her mind when she realized the door was locked. Ugh, the doctors must have wanted to keep them separate in case something like this happened to Natsu.

Regardless, she had to get to him. He was in very real pain, and at the very least she had to talk to the council about this. There had to be another way.

Lucy threw her weight against the door, but while it rattled satisfyingly it didn't actually come loose. She narrowed her eyes and kicked it as well, but while the rattle was much more pronounced that was all it did.

"Alright." She whispered, her blood burning as another agonized scream reached her ears, "Time for the big guns."

She concentrated for a moment and Taurus' stardress wrapped around her, bringing with it a surge of power and her spirit's approval.

She smirked as she stepped back a pace and aimed another kick at the door, this time throwing all her weight and power behind it.

The door didn't spring free from her attack. It burst into splinters.

"Obstacle one down." She growled as she rushed out, and narrowed her eyes at the nurses that rushed for her. Natsu's screams were much louder and more pronounced here, and her fury rose. How could these people listen to this like it was nothing?

The very thought sickened her.

"Captain Heartfilia!" The head nurse exclaimed, "What are you doing? Return to your room immediately!"

"While I can hear Natsu screaming like that?" She demanded, "Not happening!"

She pulled her whip taut, "You've got two choices here." She growled at them, "You can either get out of my way while I stop this torture, or we can fight."

The soft sound of a footfall behind her had her lashing out just before an orderly could jam a needle into her neck.

"Fight it is!" She snapped as she slammed the orderly into the wall, and then grabbed him by the front to throw him against the others.

Ice went down her spine as Natsu let out another roar of pain that abruptly cut off, and she sprinted towards it, absently punching her way through anyone stupid enough to get in her way.

"Hang on Natsu." She breathed, "I'm coming!"

She knew exactly where he was. After all, she hadn't spent years working as a Knight not to know the layout of her building backwards and forwards.

It didn't take long for her to plow her way through to the rooms where they kept their more unruly patients. Natsu's howls and cries were almost deafening so close as she was to him, and she kicked open the door with ease.

It blew off its hinges as she stepped inside, causing a smattering of nurses to scatter. The doctor near Natsu's table looked up in surprise.

The demon only had a light set of restraints on him, but he didn't make any attempts to escape. After all, Lucy had commanded him to listen to them.

Her heart wrenched at what she was seeing, his face pale and eyes glassy. Covered in his own blood.

Half healed cuts and slices decorated his chest, arms and face, some looked worse than the others. He panted heavily, looking dazed and in pain.

They weren't just testing his physical limits, they were testing to see how much his body could resist. And it looked like a lot.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, without thinking "Get up! Don't let them hurt you anymore!"

Natsu blinked at her a little, clearly having difficulty comprehending her command through his haze of pain. A fact that made Lucy nervous as the doctors began to get over their shock and converge on her. It looked like she would have to take things into her own hands if Natsu was too out of it to obey her.

"Captain Heartfilia!" The lead doctor shouted angrily, "Cease and desist this madness at once! What do you think you are doing?"

"I could ask you the same question!" Lucy growled back, "Why are you torturing Natsu?"

"We're testing the demon's limits." The doctor replied, "You know that."

"He's screaming in pain!" Lucy exclaimed furiously, "That's not testing limits! That's torture! It's cruel and unusual and I won't let you do it!"

The doctor shrugged uncaringly, "The council has ordered it Captain. Neither you nor I are in a position to argue."

He nodded to someone to the side and Lucy quickly lashed out her whip in that direction, sending people and equipment scattering, "Somehow I doubt the council had any idea what you were _really_ planning!" She snarled, "Natsu! Get up and fight!"

There was a loud cracking noise that prompted her and the doctors to look up, and her heart nearly stopped when, despite his injuries and pain, Natsu smiled at her as he broke free and got up. There was no mistaking it. The look in his eyes had none of the dullness from before as the pain faded. He was relieved to see her.

His smile widened into a demonic grin as he hopped to his feet and cracked his knuckles.

He ripped out the IV that had been pumping him full of drugs, his head shaking as he attempted to clear it. Growling, his hand lashed out at once, fingers wrapping around the doctor's throat.

He cocked his head, slanted eyes narrowing as a tick of anger flared within them. Throwing him back into his equipment, Natsu roared out a cone of fire at several people trying to contain him.

Lucy watched as he fought his way back to her side, lips pulling back and snarls building in his chest. Fire flashed around his fists, but she could tell from the heat and force of them that he was still very weak.

Whatever they had drugged him with, Natsu was doing good to even be standing up and fighting.

"Lets get out of here Natsu!" Lucy cried out as they sprang into action and finished pummeling what was left of the crew. Lucy ushered him quickly out into the hallway, knowing they had caused enough of a ruckus to get the attention of everyone.

Natsu seemed a tad on the reluctant side to leave the ones who had tortured him still breathing, but he followed obediently.

They made it out of the medical block just as Natsu began to slow down. He panted, leaning against the wall, his body trembling.

Behind him there was a trail of blood, marking where they had run off to, and Natsu weakly wrapped an arm around his middle as if he were trying to hold himself together.

Lucy tugged his free arm, not liking how pale he was, or the glazed looks in his eyes.

"Natsu we have to go," Lucy pleaded with him, his eyes tiredly following after her desperate movements.

He shook his head, his mouth opening and closing.

"No, Lucy..." He mumbled, those two words he seemed to have picked up on the most. He gave her a light push.

"Lucy go," he staggered, his eyelids drooping. But a small smile was flickering over his lips. And she realized he was happy. Happy she had even tried to come for him. Even if he didn't think they could make it out together.

Lucy twisted her hand around and grasped his elbow, "Not without you." She told him firmly as a gate opened up beside them, "Loke! Help Natsu!" She told the lion, "I'll cover you!"

"You got it!" Loke replied as he grabbed hold of the surprised and feebly protesting demon just as Lucy cracked her whip sharply into a wall, knocking a huge hole in it.

"Captain Heartfilia! You are betraying the Rune Knights with these actions!" One of the doctors called, but Lucy ignored him as she followed Loke through the hole. She knew she would probably be branded a traitor for this until the truth was told, but that was something she was willing to live with.

There were some lines that should not be crossed. Ever.

"So where do we go from here?" Loke asked as they raced away from the labs, the alarm blaring behind them and calling the Knights into pursuit.

"I have a safe house." Lucy replied, "If we can get to it we can lay low there for a while."

Gray had been the inspiration for the idea. He'd told her stories about some of the problems that could occur on some missions, and how much benefit having a safe-house or two around could be when things went south. She'd never had the need to use it before, but though it had cost her quite a bit of jewel to build and maintain, she was eternally grateful she'd gone to the trouble.

Admittedly she wasn't sure what she would do once they were there, but the most important thing was getting there and treating Natsu's wounds. They could figure out the rest later.

At least it was well stocked, well hidden, and no one knew it existed. Not even Gray. She'd been intending to tell him, but had never gotten the chance to, and with how things turned out she was glad she hadn't.

After all, he couldn't reveal what he didn't know. She would just have to try and get a message to him later on.

They struggled out into the street, barely managing to evade the Knights that followed them. Lucy knew she couldn't keep up a constant flow of magic forever, but toting Natsu's heavy body around wasn't going to be possible with her switching between star dresses and keeping the Knights off their back.

She couldn't believe how quickly things had fallen into disarray. It was almost like an endless nightmare.

The scientists would truly suffer this time. Lucy would make sure they were strung up with the highest punishment in accordance to their crimes.

"Lucy.." Natsu mumbled, in and out of consciousness.

"It's okay Natsu, we're almost home free!" Lucy tried to soothe the demon, but he shook his head weakly.

"...No..."

He managed to lift a hand to point, but too slow did she realize his heightened senses had picked up on something she couldn't.

A short, marching, order of Knights blocked off the other side of the street, and they found themselves penned in.

Eyes wide, Lucy realized this was the end of their run. Not even she could taken on this many magical Knights at once.

"Captain Heartfilia." The captain in charge sighed as he stepped closer, "It seems the doctors underestimated both your strength and your ethics." He shook his head, "A true pity. We wanted you to die painlessly and with honor. Not like this."

Lucy felt her blood freeze in horror at the man's words.

"You... what?" She asked blankly, her mind having difficulty processing her fellow captain's words, "You wanted me to die?"

The man shook his head, "Want? No Captain Heartfilia. The council never _wanted_ that. You are an exceptional Knight of nearly unsurpassed strength. It's likely that in a few years you could be strong enough to qualify as a wizard saint. The council fully intended to find a way to harmlessly sever your connection to the demon. However, Fairy Tail forced their hand. If the guilds are after END then it's imperative the transfer take place immediately."

Lucy stared at him in wide-eyed shock, "But.. why? Why's it so important?" She half pleaded, "They know I'm loyal!"

"It's true." The man nodded, "You _are_ loyal. However, the council requires more than that, and your own morals will not permit you to dirty your hands as is required when dealing with a thing like END."

Lucy didn't understand. What was wrong with her morals? She was proud of them! She worked hard for the people, and fought against the demons and monsters that roamed outside their city. It was true she would not harm a child, or allow any sentient being to be tortured, but she didn't understand how that was a _failing_.

She watched in a kind of numbed shock as the other captain and his Knights prowled closer. They were going to kill her. They really intended to do it. A part of her screamed at herself to _do_ something. To put a stop to it. To _fight_. But she couldn't move. Her mind was still locked on the enormity of the betrayal she'd just had laid before her.

However, before the Knights had taken five steps a lone figure landed heavily between Lucy and them.

"You may consider Lucy Heartfilia's morals to be unworthy." The redhead growled sternly, and Lucy's jaw dropped as she realized she was staring at Titania Erza in full battle armor squaring off on her behalf, "But it is those very morals that set her apart from the council and Knights like you!"

Her eyes glinted dangerously as two swords appeared in her hands, "Begone filthy worm!" She commanded, "You are unworthy of even _speaking_ to one such as Lucy!"

"And it's just going to be you against all of us?" The captain asked with firm calmness. The appearance of Erza would have frightened many great men, but he did not shake.

"I believe I alone would be enough for the likes of you," Erza said calmly, pointing the tip of her sword at the man in front of her.

"But it's unfortunate for you, that I did not come alone," her voice was soft and victorious, with just an air of secret humor in it.

From behind, the Captain's men went flying in a rush of cold air, a pillar of ice erupting through the line and throwing them asunder.

The sight which greeted her next was enough for Lucy to completely lose track of her senses, as none other than her partner broke open the ranks with a tidal wave of ice.

"Lucy!" He shouted, eyes wild with concern, "Are you okay?"

Lucy stared blankly at her partner, unable to compute why her partner was standing there as half a dozen others poured around various corners or dropped down from above to deal with the Knights.

"G-Gray?" She asked as he rushed up to her side, "What? I don't...?"

Gray's lips curled up into a faint half smile as relief flooded him. Lucy was in some understandable shock, but she didn't appear to be hurt. Thank whatever gods were up there.

"I'll explain later." He promised, squeezing her shoulder gently, "For right now, let's get you and Natsu out of here alright? I know someone who can heal him up."

"Right." Lucy agreed faintly, and then visibly shook herself. She didn't understand what was going on, but now was not the time to fall to pieces! Natsu needed her, and it wouldn't be long before reinforcements were on the way.

Gray nodded approvingly as he took Natsu from Loke, "C'mon! It's this way!" He looked over his shoulder, "Juvia!"

Lucy looked over in surprise, and nearly felt her brain go blank again as she saw Juvia tearing apart Knights with water magic the likes of which she'd never seen before. Since when was _Juvia_ a wizard?!

"I will cover you my darling Gray!" Juvia called back, seemingly unconcerned by the battle as she whirled gracefully and slammed a jet of water directly into a charging Knight's face.

Lucy felt her jaw unhinge even as Gray grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.

He pulled her down into an alleyway as the battle roared on behind them, until he ushered the somewhat numb Lucy into an underground sewer drop.

It was a large tunnel, wide and just a little smelly. Natsu didn't seem to like it by the way he was trying to cover his nose, his watering eyes squeezing shut.

But Gray quickly lead her out, knowing the way to go almost flawlessly. A creeping suspicion was dawning on her, one that should have been achingly obvious.

And when he pulled her in front of an old bar, a carved fairy in the wood frame of a door, she knew exactly where she was without having to be asked.

"Lucy please, trust me, "Gray turned to her, a plea in his eyes when he noticed how she had stopped rigidly still in her stride.

His dark eyes met hers, begging for her to stay with him for just a little while longer. Lucy's eyes flickered hesitantly to where Natsu was bleeding over Gray's shoulder, and she slowly nodded.

She needed to know what was happening. She needed the story from Gray.

Furthermore, Natsu needed help.

Lucy was lead into a dingy bar, that was crowded and flush with activity. However at the sight of Gray holding a bloody Natsu and Lucy still in her old Knight regalia, all movement stopped.

"Mira!" Gray barked, "We need Porlyusica!"

Mira's eyes widened and she nodded hastily as she rushed out from behind the counter, "This way!" She exclaimed, holding open a curtain that led to a back room. A room that Lucy guessed led to an infirmary of some kind.

She followed Gray through it, her shock and worry for Natsu overriding her knee jerk hatred of guilds for the moment, but was still somewhat startled to find they really _were_ being led into an infirmary.

There was a pink haired old woman bent over some vials there, and the scowl she gave them as they entered was enough to make Lucy feel a touch of nerves. That was worse than some of the scowls she'd gotten after joining the Knights!

"Just what have you brats gotten yourself into this time?" She demanded angrily as her eyes tracked to the bleeding and moaning Natsu, "Put him on the bed!" She demanded as she stood and began gathering supplies, "Well hurry up! Unless you want him to bleed out on the floor?"

Gray grimaced as he and Loke hastily carried Natsu over to one of the beds and laid him down. He gently pulled Lucy out of the way as Porlyusica got to work, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. Porlyusica's the best there is." He promised, but felt his heart sink a little when Lucy just stared at him like she wasn't sure what to make of him.

He sighed and pulled her a little further away, "Alright. Explanations." He ran his hand through his hair, "Where to start..."

"How about with the fact you're a member of Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked in a tone icy enough to make him shiver. Ouch. Yeah, she was mad.

"Alright." He agreed, keeping his own tone calm and soothing, "I am a member." He told her, "I have been since I was a little kid begging for food and picking pockets on the streets. The same is true for most of the rest of us."

He gestured vaguely towards the door, "We're street brats Lucy. All of us. And if Fairy Tail hadn't come along we would've died on the streets years ago."

Lucy's eyebrows climbed towards her hairline. Of all things for him to say she hadn't expected that.

"But, what about the orphanages and charities to help cases like that?" She frowned, "I know they exist. I've donated to many, and helped create two!"

"I know you have." Gray replied, hoping to get through to her before her anger and hate pushed back through her confusion, "And the two you created are two of the rare exceptions, but most of those charities don't work. There streets are full of corruption, and not many people get the help they need. It just doesn't work like that."

Lucy frowned deeply, "So you joined a magic guild instead?" She half asked half demanded, "Why would you even consider that? You know the kind of things they're responsible for!"

Her frown turned into a scowl, "And even if you were a kid then, you're not now! Why are you still here Gray?" She didn't notice her voice raising with every word, "Why did you join the Knights? Was it to spy on us? Is that why we could never catch anyone from Fairy Tail? Is it?!"

"Yes!" Gray exploded for a moment and sighed, "Yes, I joined the Knights as a spy. We needed information on their plans our contacts on the streets couldn't get." He matched her glare for glare, "Lucy, I know why you hate guilds, but not all guilds are the same! We're not... _them_. Fairy Tail is nothing like that! We protect the people."

"It's the Knight's job to protect the people!" Lucy shouted, "I haven't seen Fairy Tail or any other guild do _anything_ except cause death and destruction!"

"We saved you when the council betrayed you, and would've killed you without a second thought." Gray reminded her quietly, "Because you're my partner, and I was afraid that was exactly what was going to happen."

"Lucy please, listen. The Knights don't always have the best interests of the people at heart. You were one of the rare ones that actually did your job," Gray shook his head, deflating a bit at Lucy's stubborn glare.

He knew she wasn't going to see anything besides what she wanted to see. And that was the pits of the guilds. Every dark, unclean crime any guild had ever committed.

"Lucy we're not Phantom-"

She cut him off with a raised hand and a hiss so low and dangerous, Gray thought certain parts of him were going to shrivel up and die under her glare.

"Don't. You. Dare." She cut him off jerkily, and Gray dipped his head in guilt, his glance flashing away.

"Sorry," Gray murmured, cursing himself for even bringing them up. Not after what Lucy had suffered at their hands.

Lucy was closing down rapidly, and Gray knew he wouldn't be able to get anything out of her at this rate. Over on the bed, Natsu made a pained growl as he looked over at Lucy, trying to get up to come to her aid.

"Enough of your squabbling," Porlyusica snapped harshly at the two, "If you're going to have a morality debate, kindly do it away from my patient! You're just agitating him and it's making it worse!"

Gray beckoned Lucy out into the hallway, closing the door to Natsu's whines and looked at her.

"Lucy, believe it or not, I did my job the best I could. I'm still your partner, and if you decide you want to leave with Natsu after he's better, we really can't stop you." He sighed, "Just please stick around for a little while. See how we run our lives here, and take a look at what the lower levels of the slum are like."

"We risked a lot to bring you here, and you could easily turn us all in to the council," Gray breathed out, "But Erza and the others gambled on the strength of your heart overriding anything else."

He hesitated and turned away, "Pissed as you are... I'm glad I don't have to keep this a secret from you anymore."

* * *

 _I know I was a hardass in my A/N at the beginning, but I do want to express a deep gratitude to all of our reviewers who were very lovely and kind. You all have been so supportive during this new project, so Kytrin and I couldn't be happier. We very much appreciate every single one of you. So yeah:_

 _THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED_

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 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _Gray smiled, pleased by the exchange. It was still frosty by Lucy's standards, and he could tell she was still pissed, but it was miles better than he'd had any right to expect all things considered._

 _"You're welcome to join me while you wait?" He offered hopefully._

 _Lucy opened her mouth to say something, even though she didn't know what to Gray, when there was a loud thumping noise over by the infirmary._

 _Somewhat thankful for the distraction, Lucy rushed off to investigate what it could be._

 _Only to see a frustrated looking Natsu, sitting in bed and attempting to scoot the whole thing through the doorframe._

 _She supposed he was technically still in bed even if his curiosity seemed to be getting the better of him. At the sight of Lucy though, his whole countenance brightened, but immediately fell at the severe look on her face._

 _"Natsu you're supposed to be resting!"_


	9. Brownie

Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support! Both Kytrin and I are so grateful to have reviewers like you all. It was only supposed to be a reminder for people to give us some flexibility in regards to our update schedule. That being said, I'm going to be posting some art for later on in the story that's part of a collab with sorcerer_weekly. Her talented butt needs some luv.

Also we had a question about the titles for the last two chapters. Siren - because Natsu spoke. Hippogriff- well it was supposed to be thunderbird for the shit storm that happened but shenanigans happened between kytrin and I and for some reason hippogriff was put in the doc, so here we go. Can you guess why this one is Brownie?

I apologize for the delay in the chapter, I meant to have it out earlier but it was my brothers birthday and then kytrin and I stayed up writing pretty late. As for our undocumented fics, we may revisit one or two as oneshots.

Without further delay

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 9**_

 _ **Brownie**_

 _Brownies are said to inhabit houses and aid in tasks around the hou_

* * *

 _se. However, they do not like to be seen and will only work at night, traditionally in exchange for small gifts of food._

Lucy was quiet as she watched Natsu breathe evenly. She largely hadn't left his side in the two days since they'd arrived. It was easier than dealing with the guild she wasn't sure if she should hate or not. On the one hand she was furious and hurt to find out that her friends had lied to her for so long, and were loyal members of one of the guilds she'd devoted herself to destroying.

On the other, that same guild that had saved them from the Knights that had wanted to kill her and take Natsu back. Their healer, Porlyusica, had saved Natsu's life. The new scar on his abdomen was proof that she had barely gotten to him in time.

She sighed and shook her head a little, wishing she knew what she was going to do. There was a part of her that didn't want to stay, that wanted to broil in her righteous anger, but she couldn't quite shake the image of Erza saving her from the Knights she'd once considered comrades.

Of course, as long as Natsu was asleep that was a moot point.

"I hope you wake up soon." She murmured to the sleeping figure, "Maybe we can work on your speech and figure out what we're going to do now."

She reached out to gently brush a strand of hair away from his eyes when suddenly he shifted and his eyes fluttered open.

"Natsu?" She exclaimed, quietly, hope coloring her voice, and his eyelids fluttered in response. She half rose from her chair in excitement as he shifted a little and slowly his eyes fluttered open.

"Natsu!" She gasped, genuinely happy to see him awake again, and gripped his hand tightly, "You're awake!"

The demon blinked a little in confusion for a moment, but his expression cleared as soon as his eyes landed on her, and he reached up to brush her hair gently, "Lucy..." He purred happily, "Lucy safe?"

Her heart melted at his words and she sniffled a bit as she nodded, "Yeah. I'm safe Natsu."

His face relaxed into a smile, and Lucy felt her heart give an odd jump at the sight of it. If he smiled before, she hadn't seen it. But she had to say he had a very infectious one...

He cocked his head as he noticed wetness in her eyes, he huffed searching for the source of her distress. She imagined it was difficult for him, not having a full understanding of a human range of emotion.

He sat up, growling a little at the stretch and pull of his muscles. Natsu blinked and shook his head to clear it of remaining fuzziness.

Lucy almost pulled back when his hand lifted to press at her cheek, his non verbal words communicating by that gentle touch.

She had a feeling he was trying to ask if she was alright. Natsu, as it turned out, seemed to be developing into a very physical person.

Which made sense. He couldn't speak, so what other way could he learn to communicate with her?

"I'm fine," Lucy assured him, setting her hand over his and squeezing his fingers. She met his gaze and smiled at him, "I'm glad you're okay now. I was worried."

He frowned at that, his head tilting at her and his mouth opened. A frustrated noise escaped him before he closed it again. Slowly he leaned forward and pressed his nose against her shoulder.

Lucy smiled fondly despite his frustration, and rubbed her hand through his hair, "It's okay Natsu." She promised, "I'll teach you how to speak properly."

She scratched his head gently, giggling a little when he seemed to melt into purrs of pure bliss at the action. So much for the big scary demon act! She'd incapacitated him with head scratches!

Once she was sure he was no longer upset about his inability to communicate she sat back a little, smirking when that brought a soft whine of protest, "Okay Natsu, stay in bed. I'm going to get you something to eat and drink. Then we can work on your speaking alright?"

She laughed when he pouted at her, and ruffled his hair, but he made no move to stop her as she got up. Probably because she'd just promised food.

She slipped out of the infirmary, and made her way warily towards the bar. She trusted no one here except maybe Gray. And even he wasn't on the best footing with her at the moment. However, for the moment she needed Fairy Tail so she would tolerate it and keep her guard up.

"Lucy!" Gray exclaimed, his expression lighting up as soon as he spotted her, and got up to greet her, "How's Natsu?"

Lucy pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, "He just woke up." She told him grudgingly, "He's going to need some food and some fire."

"We can easily take care of that for you Lucy!" Mirajane chirped cheerfully from where she was tending the bar and kitchen, "Gray's told us how much Natsu likes to eat, so I'll make sure there's extra."

Lucy shifted awkwardly, caught between her disdain for the guild member and the manners her etiquette teacher had drummed into her head. After a moment she settled on an awkward little bob, "Ah, thank you?"

Mirajane just smiled brightly at her, as if she hadn't noticed the conflicting emotions in Lucy, and headed to the back.

Gray smiled, pleased by the exchange. It was still frosty by Lucy's standards, and he could tell she was still pissed, but it was miles better than he'd had any right to expect all things considered.

"You're welcome to join me while you wait?" He offered hopefully.

Lucy opened her mouth to say something, even though she didn't know _what,_ to Gray, when there was a loud thumping noise over by the infirmary.

Somewhat thankful for the distraction, Lucy rushed off to investigate what it could be.

Only to see a frustrated looking Natsu, sitting in bed and attempting to scoot the whole thing through the doorframe.

She supposed he was technically still in bed even if his curiosity seemed to be getting the better of him. At the sight of Lucy though, his whole countenance brightened, but immediately fell at the severe look on her face.

"Natsu you're supposed to be resting!" She set her hands on her hips. Of course she knew he would be wanting to investigate all the new smells in their surroundings... and how he would be reluctant to part from Lucy.

They were the only ones they really knew, and at the very least Lucy knew she could rely on Natsu.

The demon.

How strange had her life become where the one person she felt like she could truly trust at the moment was a _demon._

"Lucy!" Natsu whined at her, his fists balling up on the sheets. He pointed imperiously at the door and squirmed in the bed.

"Did he seriously just drag the whole bed over here?" Gray asked, peering around Lucy's shoulder. Natsu stiffened at the sight of him and scowled deeply. He crawled to the foot of the bed fire erupting around his fingers as he took a clawed shot at the mage.

Of course, bed ridden and rather limited to his orders as he was, Natsu's reach wasn't quite far enough, and all Gray had to do to avoid the weakened demon's attack, was step a little to the left.

"Seems he remembers my status as a Knight," Gray muttered.

"He'll learn the _Knights_ aren't the problem here," Lucy said flatly and stepped forward to lightly rest her hands on Natsu's arm, "Natsu, rest. No more magic while you're still so depleted."

Gray frowned at her, "Lucy, it was the _Knights_ that tried to kill you!" He exclaimed in exasperation, "And those doctors, half of whom _are_ Knights, tortured him and would've killed you on the council's orders!"

"I don't believe that!" Lucy snapped back, suddenly angry, "The council wouldn't do something like that! Maybe there was some kind of conspiracy there, but I can't believe that the people I've worked with for so long would betray the ideals we swore an oath to uphold!"

She turned back around, trying to get control of her raging emotions, and brushed her fingers through Natsu's hair soothingly when he whined softly in worried confusion.

"It's alright Natsu." She soothed, and he sighed as he let her assurance wash over him. He'd obviously missed out on some things while he was sleeping. The popsicle might not be an enemy, but Lucy was distressed about something, and Gray was the only source he could see.

He growled a little at the dark haired Knight on principle, and curled his arms protectively around Lucy. She was _his_ mistress, and tired or not he would protect her.

He blinked a little and then grinned brightly when Lucy giggled at his action. That was better. His mistress was happy, and that was all he cared about.

"My ferocious demon Knight." Lucy smiled, amused at his antics, hardly noticing as Gray left, muttering under his breath, and Mirajane re-appeared with a tray of food that immediately caught Natsu's attention.

He whined softly at Lucy and pointed at the fire pleadingly. He was _really_ hungry and that fire looked delicious!

"Of course Natsu." Lucy told him, shifting so he could pounce on the food greedily.

Trying to convince Lucy of his very real need for fire as a source of food had been an absolute nightmare. Setting parts of her apartment a blaze had only seemed to make her angry, and for a while he had suspected she would change his name once more to "Natsu, no!"

His memory was still fuzzy from that time. He couldn't quite remember what he was doing at first. It was like he was sleepwalking, but slowly waking up the longer he was connected to Lucy.

It was strange, he didn't remember anything like this happening with his previous master. Still, he didn't remember much about him.

His hand skated down across his bare chest. Fingers skated over the injury on his side and over the black tattoos decorating his skin. These were new...

Maybe.

He grabbed a mug of something on fire and spicy, his tongue rolling out to lap at it. Eagerly, he hummed in the depth of his chest and dug in.

He kept his eyes following Lucy, feeling far more awake and focused than he had since she stirred his tomb. Natsu turned his gaze towards the bottom of his mug.

He supposed torture was good for waking someone up.

"So," Lucy spoke up, attracting Natsu's attention once more as he reached for a leg of some kind of meat.

Natsu cocked his head at her to show he was listening. He blinked when Lucy's hand lifted, poking at his forehead.

"Just how long have you been all here for? And just how long have you been _faking_?" Lucy asked sharply

Oh crap. Natsu shifted nervously in the bed.

Having held onto the dim hope Lucy wouldn't pick up on that, he wiggled back against the headboard.

He supposed it was only a matter of time before she asked, but Natsu still tried to stare blankly off into space to distract her.

"Oh no you don't!"

Lucy flicked his nose, prompting him to whine in protest, and his vision was suddenly filled with his mistress' stern expression.

"I'm serious Natsu. I want to know."

He sighed and shrugged, unable to really disobey the order to tell her, but not able to tell her what she wanted to know. He didn't really know either.

He caught sight of her disbelieving look and waved his arms a little frantically. It was the truth! He really didn't know exactly. He frowned as he glanced around for a way to convey that and patted his pillows.

"S-sleeping." He stuttered, attempting the strange word for the first time, "Then..." He frowned a little, trying to remember the correct word, "Not sleeping?"

Lucy's frowned shifted into the one he recognized as the one she wore when trying to solve a puzzle, "You were sleeping before, and then you started to wake up?"

He nodded, "W-wake up! Yes. Long time wake up."

She blinked in surprise at his words. He didn't blame her either. He'd never tried to speak so much before. Though the more he did it the more he kind of liked it. Talking was much harder than growling and whining, but it made communicating things a lot easier.

Especially when it made that little frown on Lucy's face clear away to understanding and she let him resume eating.

"That explains a few things I think." She told him, "Though it sounds like we still need to work on your speech. Have you never tried speaking before?"

He shook his head as he tore a chunk out of a juicy side of meat and swallowed it down in one gulp, "Understand Lucy... speak?" He cocked his head slightly and frowned a little, "Don't know... words?"

He gestured vaguely at the last, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say.

He supposed that wasn't necessarily true. He knew everything that his mistress could possibly want from him. So the knowledge was probably there buried in his skull somewhere. He understood words, but had no practice speaking them.

He didn't even know if his previous master had ever spoken to him. Even if he had, it would be a different language to be certain.

"I see" Lucy slid onto the bed with Natsu, her legs bunching up under her body, "So that probably means you can speak with enough exposure. You're already picking up words really fast."

Natsu couldn't help but feel his chest puff out in pride over her words. He didn't want to admit it to her, but he had spent several nights in a row just mouthing out simple words and her name while she slept.

He was happy he was able to say something to her. Even if his words sounded more like growls than anything else.

"Alright then!" Lucy grinned at him in a way that had him a little nervous, "If the problem is you need a wider vocabulary then I'll just have to teach you!" She declared, "We can start now!"

Natsu whined a little at her, but already knew what orders would be coming if he resisted,

"Lucy!" He pleaded, gesturing to the remainder of his meal and she waved at it absently.

"Yeah, yeah... eat up first." She grinned, pleased to have something to distract herself with, "We'll start afterwards."

He sighed gustily and resumed eating, but he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips anyway. Lucy cared enough about him to teach him how to speak. The thoughtfulness warmed his heart. She was the nicest mistress ever, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

Not now. Not ever.

 **Thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed!**

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* * *

 **30 reviews equal a sneak peek!**

" _But Natsu guilds can't be trusted. No matter how nice Fairy Tail seems to be on the surface they will turn on us. Believe me. I know."_

 _Natsu frowned a little, her words and Fairy Tail's actions not meshing, "How do you know?" He asked softly and cocked his head slightly, "Is it because of that Phantom thing the popsicle mentioned?"_

 _Lucy froze completely at his words, and Natsu winced. Okay, whatever that was it was bad. He didn't need their connection to tell that he'd just hit the most tender spot he could. He felt panic rising in his chest when she dropped her eyes and sat down heavily. He'd really upset her!_

 _He opened his mouth to start apologizing when a soft sigh escaped her lips._

 _"I suppose you would need to know if you're really going to understand." She murmured, and curled around herself in a way that made him want to rush over and nuzzle her with soft whines that it was alright and she didn't need to tell him anything. Really!_

 _However, before he could move she began to speak._

 _"I was fifteen when it happened."_


	10. Boogeyman

I won't lie, I'm so tired I can't remember if I had anything I needed to say to everyone. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING AGAIN. YOU GUYS ARE BEING SO AWESOME! Also we got fanart! It's by shadoouge and it's on both mine and kytrin's blog.

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, break, break, Post**_

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 10_**

 _ **Boogeyman**_

 _This monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror._

Natsu whined fearfully as he ducked behind the bar in Fairy Tail, scooting around Mira's skirts as he tried to evade _her_.

He was the most feared demon on the planet. END, which was supposed to mean something - even if Natsu didn't know what that was - but damn it **he** was supposed to be the scary one!

He wasn't hiding from Lucy, no, his mistress would never be so sadistic as the she-devil he was currently hiding from.

Unfortunately, Lucy had turned a blind eye to his plight after Natsu had _accidentally_ set his fourth pad of paper on was not fond of Fairy Tail, but she was a strategist and knew precisely how to use the resources available to her.

Maybe his mistress was cruel after all.

"Natsu. You can't hide from me," the steely voice of Erza clapped like thunder behind him.

Sweating bullets, Natsu creaked his head around and gave her a wide eyed, fearful look.

"E-Erza," he stammered, "What? I-I'm no hiding...!"

She cracked a measuring stick across the counter, narrowly missing Natsu's fingers in the process. He gulped at the steely glare in her eyes.

"Not," she corrected, pointing the stick at him as if it were one of her deadly swords, "You are **not** hiding."

"Not," Natsu parroted back, face pale and forcing himself back to his feet.

Lucy had ordered him to learn from Erza, but after three extensive day's reading and writing, he had developed a profound hatred of all pencils, pens, and loose leaf paper.

Verbal lessons with Lucy were better. Speaking to his mistress began to come more fluidly with all the practice he had. Sometimes when she would catch him growling and pointing at something, she would gently remind him to speak.

It was difficult, finding the words to say anything, but soon he was picking up on the sounds for words he already knew.

And he learned a few creative ones just being around Fairy Tail. Much to Lucy's disapproval, and his glee.

"You are **so** hiding!" Cana cackled, causing Lucy to tense up from where she was sitting. Lucy had not forgiven the card wizard for trying to kidnap them, and after the first shouting match that had required Gray and Juvia to intervene Lucy had stayed far away from the drunk woman.

Which was a pity in Natsu's mind. He thought she was fun.

"Let the runt go Erza." Gajeel drawled, prompting a low growl from Natsu, and smirked, "You terrifyin' him ain't gonna make his lessons go faster."

"Oh?" Erza purred, "Perhaps you should join him for a lesson or two then." She suggested, "Certainly _your_ speech is nothing to brag about."

Gajeel spluttered in a combination of indignation and horror that had something bubbling up in Natsu. A feeling he wasn't familiar with, and was confused by, until a laugh escaped him.

It was by accident, and he slapped his hand over his mouth instinctively in surprise. What had that been?

Gajeel's eyes widened in matching surprise and he scowled, "You laughin' at me brat?"

Natsu started to shake his head, but the feeling bubbled up again and this time he couldn't stop the sounds from escaping.

"Awwwwww!" Mira cooed, "How cute! Your first laugh! Lucy are you looking?"

"Yeah I am." Lucy replied as she moved towards the counter, her gaze fixed on Natsu, and a smile curling at her lips, "I'm glad to see it too."

Her smile turned into a grin as she tugged gently at Natsu's bangs, "What do you think?" She asked, "Do you like laughing?"

Natsu gasped for breath and cocked his head slightly, a wide grin on his face, "Yeah! This is fun!"

She'd been asking him that more and more often lately, though he didn't get why. It seemed like she wanted to know his thoughts and feelings on things more and more. Which was weird, but he'd accepted that his mistress was just plain weird anyway.

If she wanted to know things like that... he'd tell her.

His cheeks felt flushed and warm, and he couldn't describe the lightness he felt in his chest after... laughing.

He wanted to ask what it was, or what it even meant, but it felt nice.

His smile broadened, his hands curling around his sides and his eyes watered a little, "It hurts a little, is that bad?"

Lucy smiled and set a hand on his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. It made Natsu feel even lighter than before.

"No that's perfectly natural Natsu!" Lucy smiled even wider at him, "that just means you laugh with everything you have. It's wonderful."

Natsu's cheeks warmed happy at the way she described it as his snorts finally died down to something normal. He smiled lazily, catching his breath and straightening up fully.

Lucy tugged a bit at the collar of his shirt, smoothing it down against his neck.

He had a collar that stood up, disguising some of the tattoos that reached under his hairline. Lucy told him that plenty of humans had tattoos all over their bodies, but the markings on him might stand out as unusual. One of his arms was bandaged to hide more of the markings, and the other one had a sleeve down to the wrist.

He wasn't particularly fond of things covering his arms, they tended to burn away with his flames if he wasn't careful. But if this would help Lucy draw less attention to them, he would wear a parka.

Still, when he turned to look at Lucy, he noticed her smile had dimmed around the edges. For the moment Erza seemed to have mercy on him and had wandered off to terrorize Gajeel.

Natsu whined at her and cocked his head, curious as to what was troubling her.

Lucy shook her head a little, "It's nothing to worry about right now." She promised him, "Why don't we get some dinner?" She looked over at Mira, "If that's alright?"

"Of course Lucy! Is there anything in particular you want?"

Lucy shook her head, "No thanks Mira." She replied, her smile a bit more forced, and Natsu's brow furrowed at her tension.

He didn't know why, but for some reason Lucy never relaxed her guard around the guild, and though she was polite there was always an edge to her words. Like she was gearing up for a major battle every time she spoke to anyone but him. It bothered him quite a bit, and he resolved to see if he could find out what it was that made her react that way.

Maybe he could ask her when they ate? She preferred to eat in their rooms instead of eating with the guild.

He wanted to help whatever it was that had her so tense. Fairy Tail was a lot of fun. Way more fun than the Knights had been that was for sure. And he wanted her to have fun too.

"Here you go!" Mira exclaimed, setting their food in front of them, and handing Natsu a box of matches.

"What are these?" He asked in confusion, turning the box over curiously.

"Those are matches Natsu!" Mira explained brightly, and deftly pulled one out to strike and set his drink on fire, "Since you told me that you ate the fire too quickly I thought maybe you could re-light your things yourself."

Natsu's eyes widened in delight at the idea, and he promptly sucked the fire off the drink to try it himself. He carefully struck the match and dropped it into the liquid, laughing in delight when it burst back into flame.

"Thanks Mira!" He exclaimed happily, "This is great!"

Lucy gave him a wane smile and picked up her plate and drink, "C'mon Natsu. Let's go eat."

Natsu looked curiously at her, but hopped off the stool and followed her without complaint. He gave Mirajane a sunny smile before he loped off after Lucy to their room.

No sooner had he closed the door behind him, did Lucy turn around to him, her expression fierce.

"Okay Natsu, we're going to have to move soon if we want to get out of here," Lucy said with an air of urgency he didn't understand.

He cocked his head at her, frowning in confusion, "What? Why, we just got here? Did you want to go eat outside with the others?"

Lucy stared at him over his innocently oblivious question, and she seemed to sigh to herself, as if gaining patience.

"Not the room Natsu. We are getting out of Fairy Tail while we still can!" She hissed urgently

Still Natsu was mystified. He didn't understand why

"I don't understand Lucy." Natsu told her as he shifted to set his food down, "Why do you want to leave? Haven't they helped us?"

Lucy sighed at his genuine confusion and shook her head, "They've helped us so far yes." She agreed, "But Natsu guilds can't be trusted. No matter how nice Fairy Tail seems to be on the surface they will turn on us. Believe me. I know."

Natsu frowned a little, her words and Fairy Tail's actions not meshing, "How do you know?" He asked softly and cocked his head slightly, "Is it because of that Phantom thing the popsicle mentioned?"

Lucy froze completely at his words, and Natsu winced. Okay, whatever that was it was bad. He didn't need their connection to tell that he'd just hit the most tender spot he could. He felt panic rising in his chest when she dropped her eyes and sat down heavily. He'd really upset her!

He opened his mouth to start apologizing when a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"I suppose you would need to know if you're really going to understand." She murmured, and curled around herself in a way that made him want to rush over and nuzzle her with soft whines that it was alright and she didn't need to tell him anything. Really!

However, before he could move she began to speak.

"I was fifteen when it happened." She murmured, "I grew up wealthy. And because of that I was a target." She looked up at him, "Wealthy children are often targeted by kidnappers so they can be ransomed back to their families, and when I was fifteen they came for me."

She shivered, "They used their magic to bypass our security in the middle of the night. I didn't even know they were there until they grabbed me from my bed and dragged me out of the room."

"I didn't know who they were, or what they wanted." She whispered, ducking her head again as a tear rolled down her cheek, "They knocked me out and when I woke up again I was tied up at their master's feet. He told me how he was so glad I could join them, and that I was going to make his guild extremely wealthy as he bled my father dry."

"I could tell then... he was like all the other slimy businessmen my dad had dealt with. He had no intention of letting me go. Ever." Lucy took a deep breath, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her, "They locked me in a nice room, and treated me like a princess for a while, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way, so I tried to escape."

"Over and over I tried to escape, but I never made it out. I was beaten and thrown back into my room every time until the last. Then they threw me in this tower cell." She shook her head, "I'm not sure how long I was up there, but it felt like days without food or water. The only good thing was I was able to find my keys before they threw me in there and hide them."

"When Jose came to taunt me about how I had brought my poor treatment on myself I was able to trick him and run for the door. That was when I found out it was a tower, and I had the choice of falling or being his prisoner."

Fierce eyes met his, "I would rather die than be that kind of prisoner!" She hissed, "So I jumped. If it wasn't for Horologium I probably would've died. But he saved me at the last second and helped me escape. I broke my leg in the process and my spirit was badly hurt trying to save me."

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her expression dark and distant as she thought back to a place that brought her so much pain, " _That_ is what guilds really are."

Natsu made a distressed sound in the back of his throat. Slowly he edged towards his upset mistress, pressing his nose into her shoulder.

He pulled away and let out a fierce sounding growl, one that rumbled dangerously through his chest in a way that made Lucy pull away in surprise.

Natsu's eyes flared a deep red in his anger, his lips pulled back over sharp fangs in what could only be described as a feral snarl.

She hadn't seen such a look on his face since before he woke up. But again she was reminded with startling clarity that Natsu was not just a demon, but he was END.

And as such he had a certain amount of violent impulses she had just provoked.

"So long as I'm with you, no one will hurt you like that again," Natsu growled, his eyes dimming only a little.

Lucy shook her head, reaching out to grasp his cheeks in her palms. She could feel the tension coiling in his muscles slowly drawing away thanks to where her hands were until the redness in his vision finally faded away.

"Now you see why we have to go as soon as possible?" Lucy pleaded with him, "Fairy Tail is extremely strong. We can't take the whole guild on when they change their tune. We have to leave while we have the chance."

Natsu frowned, his gaze flicking down as he nodded. Reluctance was in the set of his shoulders, and it was clear he still didn't really believe Fairy Tail would turn on them.

He could feel it even if he couldn't explain how.

Natsu had the feeling he had a personal experience with the darkness in people. Sensing none of that evil in Fairy Tail, he just couldn't believe they would do to them what Lucy said.

But he would obey Lucy, and if Fairy Tail tried to stop them... well he would fight if Lucy asked him too.

Lucy's relief was palpable as he dipped his head in agreement, and she smiled, "Thanks Natsu." She breathed, "Let's hurry and go then. They won't be expecting us back for at least another hour. That'll give us time to get away without arousing suspicion."

She smiled and pat his arm consolingly when he cast the food a mournful look, "Don't worry. I have a place we'll be safe. It's got plenty of food and a fireplace there."

She knew Natsu didn't believe her entirely about Fairy Tail, and she couldn't really blame him. He hadn't seen it first hand, and so far Fairy Tail had not given him a reason to doubt them. Still, she was grateful he was willing to go along with her anyway. Maybe part of that was the bond they shared, but over the last few days he's proved he could, and would, at least ask for reasons behind orders before blindly doing what she asked.

That meant he was at least thinking about it, and though he hadn't resisted the bond outright he'd shown that he was willing to technically obey and passively thwart her at every turn if he didn't agree with her.

Natsu sighed gustily, but got up when she did and joined her in slipping out the door. The guild hall itself was underground, but the guild frequently used other parts of the building their bar was situated in, along with several of the surrounding buildings, but if her calculations were correct then at this time most of the members would be at the bar eating or getting drunk.

Which would mean the other exits would be all or mostly unguarded.

She headed for the nearest one, walking calmly despite her intentions, and was relieved to find no guards near it. Fairy Tail was far less militant than Phantom Lord had been, and she would take shameless advantage of that fact.

Natsu hesitated as she slipped out, still thinking she was making a terrible mistake.

It didn't seem right, and a part of him rebelled against leaving the people who had helped rescue them.

If they had ulterior motives, than by now wouldn't they have been sniffed out? Natsu didn't want to go back to the stuffy council building Lucy seemed so fond of.

He could still feel the creeping helplessness when he had to obey the nurses as they took him further and further away from Lucy. And then they strapped him down and began their torture...

Lucy was convinced she could sort everything out with the council, but he didn't think so. There was a cruelty in their eyes when they looked at him.

And Natsu wasn't deaf to their comments by any means. They spoke about him like he was a thing. A mere object without any sense...

"Natsu!" Lucy's voice hissed at him, just beyond the door, "Let's go! Hurry!"

His eyes flicked back to Fairy Tail as he made a decision Lucy was sure to hate him for later.

His fingers burned into the frame of the wooden door, a small stream of smoke rising up where he touched.

With that, he ran after Lucy.

Erza had made him read short stories to get better with his words, ironically called fairytales. And there was one about two children that left a trail back to find their home again. He liked the idea of finding a home.

Natsu hoped he and Lucy could.

* * *

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 _"Lucy if you just-" Natsu growled, a hint of frustration edging into his voice. But Lucy's grip on him was solid. She began to tug him again down the road as she planned a detour._

 _"I can't believe you did that," Lucy gave him a hurt look, "You had no right to make a decision like that. It could get us killed!"_

 _Natsu's eye twitched and he let loose an angry growl, yanking his arm free of Lucy's grip, "And like you are?"_

 _Lucy looked more surprised over how he snapped at her, the rebellious glint in his eyes boiling like one of his flames, "You're just afraid of getting hurt again so you are running away from good people!"_

 _"They aren't good people Natsu! You've only been around for a couple of days! You wouldn't know how guilds work! You can't trust them," Lucy snapped back at him, losing her patience with this argument._

 _"I don't have to know how guilds work to know good people when I see them Lucy!" Natsu growled, his patience also fraying, "I'm not the child you seem to think I am! I'm a demon. I always have been, and I never needed to be awake to know good from evil!"_


	11. Hydra

Hey guys! It's Kytrin here today. Mslead had a 5k today, and other stuff, so she asked me to post the chapter since there's no telling when she'll get enough time to actually sit down and do this.

Real quick, there's something I'd like to mention to you guys that I brought up on tumblr earlier...

I know this chapter is one many of you have been waiting for regarding Lucy. Please try to keep things in mind from her perspective though. It's true she's being stubborn, but in this story she is the ultimate lawful good paladin. She's firmly dedicated and loyal to a cause she hasn't had any reason, until recently, to believe was anything less than righteous. Not to mention Lucy herself is an extremely loyal person in general.

Tack on her experience with Phantom and the fact that guilds, _all guilds_ , are currently illegal and it's little wonder she regards Fairy Tail as the equivalent of being 'rescued' by the mafia. It's also little wonder her perspective and loyalties are slow to shift. Just something to keep in the back of your heads as you read. :)

As always, we love you all for your reviews! You guys rock! And...

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post, etc.**_

* * *

 ** _Chapter 10_**

 ** _Hydra_**

 _Hydra, also called the Lernean Hydra, in Greek legend, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna (according to the early Greek poet Hesiod's Theogony), a gigantic water-snake-like monster with nine heads (the number varies), one of which was immortal._

* * *

Lucy visibly relaxed as they got out of Fairy Tail's immediate vicinity without detection. Not that she dropped her guard or anything. They were still in the slums after all, and just because they'd gotten away clean for now didn't mean Fairy Tail wouldn't be after them. Still, it was a relief for her to be getting away from them, especially her lying friends and partner, at last.

She barely paid attention to the way Natsu was lagging behind her as they moved. He wasn't dragging his feet like he had going to the labs, and it wasn't like _he_ knew the way to her safe house.

Though, he did seem to be trailing further and further as they went. She glanced over her shoulder at him, as he jogged to catch up, "Something catch your eye?"

Natsu blinked and then grinned at her, "Nothing important." He replied calmly, "How far until we get there? I'm getting hungry."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Is there a time when you're not hungry?" She drawled in amusement, "Don't worry, it's not too far. In fact, we're nearly halfway there."

Natsu nodded and relaxed into a stride just behind her. Partly so he could watch her back, and partly so he could drop another 'breadcrumb'. However, this time the movement wasn't as subtle as he thought, and no sooner had he casually pressed his hand against a nearby piece of brick than he found his wrist grabbed.

"Natsu! What are you doing?" Lucy exclaimed in horror.

He cringed at the shock and hurt on Lucy's face. She already seemed to have worked out what he was doing without him having to answer. Flashing his eyes guiltily to the side, he grumbled a little.

"I left a trail," he mumbled.

Lucy looked absolutely stricken by his answer, and he hated that he had put that expression on her face.

"Why would you do that?" She demanded, just a hint of shrillness denoting the panic in her voice.

"Natsu, I thought you understood!" Lucy flailed her arms and poked his chest, confusing Natsu with her hand motions.

"Yeah but-"

"This wasn't part of the plan, we'll have to loop around and throw them off if they decided to follow us," Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as if fending off a migraine.

"Lucy if you just-" Natsu growled, a hint of frustration edging into his voice. But Lucy's grip on him was solid. She began to tug him again down the road as she planned a detour.

"I can't believe you did that," Lucy gave him a hurt look, "You had no right to make a decision like that. It could get us killed!"

Natsu's eye twitched and he let loose an angry growl, yanking his arm free of Lucy's grip, "And like you aren't?"

Lucy looked more surprised over how he snapped at her, the rebellious glint in his eyes boiling like one of his flames, "You're just afraid of getting hurt again so you are running away from good people!"

"They aren't good people Natsu! You've only been around for a couple of days! You wouldn't know how guilds work! You can't trust them!" Lucy snapped back at him, losing her patience with this argument.

"I don't have to know how guilds work to know good people when I see them Lucy!" Natsu growled, his patience also fraying, "I'm not the child you seem to think I am! I'm a demon. I always have been, and I never needed to be awake to know good from evil!"

He gestured back in the direction of the guild, "Those people are good! They're nothing like the bastards that cut on me and tortured me! Or your council that approved it! And you would see that for yourself if you would just open your eyes and give them a chance!"

"The council didn't order your torture!" Lucy cried furiously, "They wouldn't do something like that Natsu! I don't know who did it, but it wasn't them! The Rune Knights aren't like that!"

"Oh, so it's okay for them to use me like a weapon, but they would never order my torture?" Natsu snapped, "Is that it?"

Lucy reared back as if struck, "No! Natsu... that's not... that was completely different!"

"No it's not!" Natsu insisted, "And even if it was, it doesn't matter. I saw the papers from them in those labs. The doctors weren't exactly subtle you know. They didn't think I could make sense of what they were saying."

Lucy stopped cold at that, her eyes stopping on Natsu, uncaring of the attention they had gathered by their argument.

"What?" She breathed, hardly able to wrap her brain around what he was saying.

Natsu's voice dropped with hers, his eyes dark and hooded as he grimaced.

"The doctor, he read his orders out loud Lucy," Natsu murmured, "I had tried to warn you the day before, but the only way to separate our connection is if you die. I can then be bound to another host. One of the council's choosing."

"Someone who wouldn't care if doctors cut me open to examine my insides, not if it meant building a loyal and obedient army of _weapons_."

He lifted his chin, and for the first time Lucy saw Natsu looking at her with a sort of seriousness in his eyes that came from age. Centuries of power behind his hot gaze that was buried behind his confusion.

"The doctor's read their directions from the council outloud, just to make sure their staff knew what to do. They were very afraid of messing up their..." Natsu frowned and he snapped his fingers, "What's the word?"

"Specimen!" Natsu exclaimed after a moment and shrugged.

"You humans must be very desperate to go to such lengths," Natsu growled quietly. His eyes narrowed and his head canted, "You're a good person Lucy but I can't understand how you want to go back to them. Why do you want to deliver me to them so they can kill you?"

His jaw tightened and he hissed softly, "You understand that I won't _let them_."

Lucy felt sick. Natsu was perhaps the only person who had no reason to lie, and probably couldn't anyway. Not to her at least. But at the same time it seemed impossible. Why would the council do such a thing? _How_ could the council do such a thing?

And in the back of her head a small voice wondered if maybe she'd been deluding herself the whole time.

Had she?

It was hard to tell. She'd joined the Rune Knights not long after her dad had died. She'd been sick with grief and regret, and had been desperately looking for a new family to fill the void left by the knowledge she was an orphan.

Had she seen only what she wanted to see?

She'd always righteously believed in the Council and Rune Knights and their work. She'd fought hard to protect the innocent so no one else would have to lose a loved one to demonic attack the way she had.

But now there was doubt breaking through that righteousness, and with it came the reminders of her own business lessons. The lessons she'd learned at her father's knee about dealing with corrupt politicians and shady businessmen. What reason did she have to think the council, as human as the next political power, was different?

She didn't. She _wanted_ to believe they were above that, but her own common sense was telling her that reality was often very different from perception.

"I don't want them to hurt you." She whispered, hardly aware that she was talking, "I don't want to die. I just... I wanted an end to the war. Demons have been destroying humanity piece by piece for four hundred years." A tear trickled down her cheek, "I lost my father to them. I just want the killing to stop."

Natsu's eyes softened, his brow furrowing at the reminder of demons picking at humanity's defenses.

He stepped forward, hesitantly setting a hand on her shoulder. Natsu had heard Lucy talk of him before too. Over how he had a large role in what was happening in her world. The damages done to her people landed on his shoulders.

The memories were out of his reach, but the sick coiling he felt in his gut made him believe she was telling the truth.

Somehow he was responsible for what happened to her home. And perhaps even responsible for her father by extension.

"Lucy I'll gladly fight if peace is what you want," Natsu broke the silence, squeezing gently at her shoulder, "Wherever you choose to go. I'll be right at your side."

Lucy swallowed, tears stinging at her eyes. Her large, brown eyes met his and she flashed him a wane, watery smile. Hesitantly, he returned it-

-until the next words left her mouth.

"Wait here Natsu, I need to go verify what you said is true," Lucy said thoughtlessly, not even seeing how Natsu's legs locked into place.

It was clear she didn't even realize she had given an order. Her comment was casual and she was already pulling away from him, "Just sit tight! I'll be right back. I'll get to the bottom of this, I swear!"

Natsu gaped as she slipped out of his grasp and his knees already began to bend to sit down.

"Lucy wait!" He shouted at her back in frustration.

But she was already gone, thinking three steps ahead and focused on her task.

"I'm stuck," Natsu whined to no one in particular.

-::-

Gray scowled into his drink as the hour got later and later. Something was up with Lucy. He could practically taste it. She was far too contained around Fairy Tail as a whole now, and while he might normally take that as a positive sign he knew his partner better than that.

Lucy was far more intelligent than most people gave her credit for, and she had a knack for solving puzzles and strategy. Furthermore, she was good at hiding what was going on in her head from nearly everyone. Except maybe her spirits.

And with her hatred for guilds, he was starting to get worried the longer the tension strung out.

A tension that was starting to really get on his nerves.

He understood why she hated Phantom Lord. He really did. He wasn't fond of the bastards that had hurt her either, and out of respect for his partner he kept her secret safe. But Fairy Tail was not like that, and she was too stuck on her stubborn prejudice to see that.

"Gray darling," Juvia murmured, snapping his attention out of his angry thoughts, "Are you thinking of Lucy again?"

"Dunno why you're bothering." Gajeel snorted, "Little princess ain't worth the effort if you ask me."

"That's because you don't know Lucy!" Gray snapped hotly, "I worked with her for three years! Maybe she's a little too stubborn, but her heart's in the right place."

"Well it sure would be nice if she would stop acting like she's better than us." Max commented, and held up his hands when Gray transferred his glare to him, "C'mon Gray, you know it's true. She's looked down on all of us since she got here!"

Gray growled impotently at the comment. He couldn't refute it without breaking his promise, and he knew how it looked to everyone else.

"It's not what you think." He grumbled sulkily.

"So why don't you tell us already?" Gajeel asked, "Ain't like you gotta keep the secret for your undercover work now right?"

Gray shot him another glare, "It's not my secret to tell metalhead. It's hers. And I've broken her trust enough already."

"Gray!" Mira called as she rushed down the stairs, looking frantic, "Lucy and Natsu are gone! I just went to check if they needed a hand with their dishes, but their food hasn't been touched!"

"What?!" Gray exclaimed and leapt to his feet in alarm, "Show me!"

Sure enough, the room was empty. Natsu had even left behind the matches and his dully simmering drink. The gluttonous demon hadn't even touched his fire.

He frowned deeply, cursing his inattentiveness. Lucy had decided she was better off on her own. Which meant Fairy Tail would have to pack up and leave this place to avoid detection from the council. Lucy was sure to lead the Knights right to their doorstep.

And Gray had promised not to go after her. If nothing else... he wouldn't lie to her about that.

"Does anyone smell smoke?" Juvia asked curiously, her nose wrinkling up.

Turning towards his girlfriend for clarification, he watched as she walked away.

What on earth was she even talking about? Gray sighed and was about to turn his attention dejectedly back to the tray of food when Juvia let out a noise of surprise.

"Gray! Look at what Juvia found!"

Gray rushed over to join her and gaped at the handprint burned into the wood.

"Natsu..." He breathed, hope blossoming in his chest. If this was what he thought it was...

"There's another here!" Juvia called excitedly, and he rushed into the hallway to join her.

"He's leaving us a trail!" Gray grinned fiercely and kissed Juvia deeply, "You are amazing Juvia! Now we can find them!"

Jellal dropped his hand on Gray's shoulder, "We'll find them." He corrected gently, a small knowing smile on his lips, "We won't make you break your promises to Lucy."

That stopped Gray cold and he sighed dejectedly, "Yeah. That's probably for the best." He agreed, "I just hope you have better luck getting through to her than I have."

Jellal nodded and gestured for Gajeel and Erza to join him as he headed down the hall, following Natsu's trail. With luck they would find both of them before the Knights did.

-::-

Meanwhile, Lucy couldn't say how much luck she was having. She had gotten a good distance away before she realized Natsu had actually listened to what she had said and was staying away.

Of course it hit her just a moment later that he was probably howling in annoyance across the city. She hadn't exactly phrased her comment like a suggestion, had she?

Natsu didn't do patience well.

Still it was probably for the best. He didn't need to venture so close to a place that had already hurt him so badly, and possibly wanted to kill her too.

It had been foolish of her to forget so easily what Natsu had experienced so recently. Sometimes she forgot behind all his new smiles that there was something deeper running through his mind.

Until she gathered proof that the council was either the corrupt place Lucy was beginning to suspect it was, or it was as good as she had always thought.

Either way she would uncover the truth for herself.

Lucy scowled a little as she thought about just how she would find out the truth. Waltzing back into the council building by the front door was probably about the stupidest thing she could do, and would get her a one way trip to a prison cell or worse.

What she really needed was to get her hands on the records Natsu had mentioned. _That_ would be her proof. The council seal was magical and impossible to counterfeit. If the orders had really been signed off by them then they would have the seal. And if they had the seal...

She shivered a little, sick at the idea that she'd been devoting herself to a lie, but pushed her reaction back for now. The truth was more important than her fears, and if it really was a lie like Natsu and Gray had told her, then it was better she find out now before she got herself killed.

Fortunately, she knew of several back ways into the building. Not to mention she knew the security backwards and forwards. Granted, they might've changed the patrol routes or the shift changes since she'd left, but it wasn't likely. Most folks avoided the council building at all costs. Her breaking back in probably seemed ludicrous to them.

If she timed it right she would be in and out in less than an hour.

"Please. We haven't had any customers for a week." A voice pleaded, startling her out of her reverie. She turned to find a haggard looking merchant, the owner of the shop behind him most likely, pleading with a group of Magical Knights.

"And that's supposed to be our problem?" The leader sneered, motioning threateningly with his staff, and causing Lucy's eyes to narrow dangerously.

"I'm sorry sir!" The man begged, a touch of hysteria in his voice, "But without customers I can't afford to pay! My family will starve..."

"You expect me to care?" The Knight snorted uncaringly, and ran his eyes indifferently over the man's wife and children, "You know what will happen if you _don't_ pay what we're due."

He smirked cruelly and reached out to grab the man's teenage daughter by the arm, "Or maybe we should just take her instead?"

Lucy's teeth grit at the man's frantic begging and woman's pleading for more time. But the Knights seemed oblivious to their cries.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Lucy's feet had carried her over, anger moving her faster than anything else could have.

"Hey!" She snarled at the Knights, "What do you think you're doing with this family? They owe you nothing! Especially not their daughter you _sleazebag_!"

The fact that they would even think to rip a family apart to fatten their wallets was disgusting. Lucy's stomach curled down to her toes, fingers itching towards her keys.

They were supposed to be Knights. Their job was to lay down order and protect the people. Instead these ones were using their position of power to take.

Was this what it was like all over the city?

"Back off if you know what's good for you lady!" The leader snapped, cruel eyes flashing onto Lucy.

She felt a chill run all the way up her spine when Lucy met the man's gaze and recognized his face.

"Bora," Lucy breathed, just as recognition flashed over his face.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Bora's expression brightened in a way that made her sick to her stomach, "I was hoping I'd get to be the one to catch you. You've always been too prudish with your morals. It's been pretty annoying."

Dark fire erupted in his palms and the Knights began to crowd around her as the family backed away. Already she knew the others had signaled for reinforcements.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Bora promised.

Swallowing, Lucy pulled out her keys, lashing them through the air to summon a spirit to her aid.

The Knights swiftly converged on her, their magic erupting around them.

Meanwhile, Natsu stiffened, his eyes growing wide as he felt a certain wrongness down to his trembling core.

The sensation was almost sickening, and it disoriented him for a moment before it settled in his gut as a kind of cold feeling he couldn't identify. It was like he'd been drenched in ice water though. His heart was pounding furiously and he was desperate to run. Where, exactly, he wasn't sure, but the need was so intense he automatically tried to get to his feet despite his orders.

The fact he actually managed it shocked him so badly he nearly fell down again.

"I can move?" He breathed, looking down at his hands in shock, and glanced around at the crowds. Had Lucy returned already? Surely he would've sensed she was close again? However there was no sign of her in the crowd. What was going on?

That was when the sensation hit him again, even harder, and it suddenly clicked in his head.

Lucy was in danger.

Real danger. Of the kind he needed to deal with immediately before she was badly hurt or killed.

His heart nearly stopped at the realization, and before he could think about what he was doing he was tearing off towards her at top speed a trail of fire and destruction left in his wake.

Not that he was paying any attention to such things.

He was much too concerned about his mistress and whatever was happening to her.

Fortunately, their bond also functioned as a guide for him so he could always return to her side no matter where he was. A feature probably meant for the battlefield, but he would take as much advantage as he could.

He rounded a corner unerringly just in time to see Lucy get cornered by some asshole flinging fire at her. He growled darkly and dove forward to push her out of the way just in time to get hit by the blast himself, and smirked darkly.

Their mistake.

He grinned as he started biting into the flames eagerly, tearing at them with his fangs like they were a juicy side of meat. They weren't as tasty as the flames Mira gave him, in fact they tasted pretty awful. Not at all like the flames of something that he would ever willingly dine on unless he was desperate, but they would do. He licked his lips, ignoring Lucy's startled gasp.

"You're here?" Lucy breathed in surprise and Natsu tried really hard not to feel offended.

"No thanks to someone almost gluing my butt to the pavement," Natsu grumbled at her, his fists igniting at his sides. His eyes narrowed on the Knights who were beginning to look unsure now that there were two opponents.

"Sorry," Lucy murmured but moved up to Natsu's side, "Try to take it easy on them."

Natsu's lip curled in annoyance, his eyes glued on Bora with a menacing glint to them. He cocked his head, "Is that an order?"

"Yes Natsu, we aren't killers," Lucy flashed her gaze stubbornly back to the demon who looked like he did not agree with her comment.

Still the heat from his fists seemed to recede.

"Let's go then," He growled, lunging forward on the balls of his feet.

* * *

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_"You look like a woman who has had far too many shocks recently."_

 _"I..." Lucy started, but trailed off, not really sure how to reply._

 _Jellal nodded and gently nudged her towards Bora's charred and groaning body, "You should relieve him of his orders and other documents now." He told her, "While you can verify with your own eyes that they haven't been tampered with by any of us."_

 _Lucy stared at him for a long moment, confusion written on her face, "You're..." She licked her lips, "You're not going to drag us back to Fairy Tail?"_

 _Indignation crossed Gajeel and Erza's faces, but Jellal held up his hand to cut off their comments, "No Lucy." He replied softly, his eyes meeting hers intently, "We aren't what you think we are. We will not force you and Natsu back if you don't want to go. We came because Gray is frantic with worry, but wouldn't break his promise to you."_

 _Tears sprang up in her eyes at the mention of Gray, "Then what do you want from me?" She asked, a hint of hysteria in her voice, "I don't understand! Don't guilds always want something?"_

"We would like to be your friends."


	12. Wyvern

Sorry for the delay in an update! It sort of snuck up on us! That being said, Kytrin and I have great news! Golem is totally finished! We have ALL the chapters pre-written! So hurrah!

 **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post (if one of your authors just can learn to be punctual for once.)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 _ **Wyvern**_

 _This creature is often mistaken as a bad omen. It is actually very rare and is considered a good omen and very lucky._

* * *

It wasn't hard for Jellal or the others to follow the sounds of fighting after finding the last of Natsu's marks. The demon hadn't exactly been subtle in either his passage or in the obvious explosions happening further away.

Of course, arriving on the scene it was clear that if nothing else Natsu would have no problem fitting in with the rest of Fairy Tail. The street looked like a war zone, and though Lucy was doing her best to protect the civilians caught in the middle the primary combatants weren't making it easy for her.

To make matters worse, they were attracting attention in the form of more Rune Knights. They needed to nip this in the bud, and quickly, or they'd be overrun.

"Erza..." Jellal murmured, and his girlfriend nodded as she stepped up and requipped, "Come Gajeel!" She commanded, "Let's help Natsu finish this!"

"Tch, runt's doing fine on his own." Gajeel grumbled, but followed after her anyway, a slightly impressed look on his face now that he wasn't the one on the receiving end of demonic fury.

Jellal, meanwhile, made his way over to where Lucy was working frantically against the Knights that had gotten past Natsu's defenses.

He walked calmly, which was perhaps even more terrifying than the puffing and posturing going on all around them, and paused just outside the cluster of Knights. He cocked his head slightly as he considered them, looking completely unconcerned about the potential danger, and turned his attention to Lucy.

"This is becoming a habit Ms. Heartfilia." He told her with a hint of amusement as a bright magic circle flared under his feet and the Knights began to converge on him, "I think after this we should sit down and have a nice long talk about some things. But for the moment..."

Lucy blinked and suddenly Jellal was a flash of light as he sped through the ranks sending them flying. Lucy had never seen a spell like it, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when he suddenly appeared next to her with the Knights all on the ground groaning.

"Let's deal with the trash trying to capture you and Natsu shall we?" He asked her, a slightly mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.

The Knights who had all gathered, suddenly found the tide of the fight shifting out of their favor. Even with Natsu and Lucy fighting on their own, and the additional help of Fairy Tail, there was a factor none had taken into account.

The people, who had all been drawn out by the sounds of fighting, began to flood in the streets at the sight of Fairy Tail arriving.

And suddenly, it wasn't just a fight against a demon, a rogue guild, and a traitor the Knights were dealing with.

No, instead they were forced to contend with everyone from the lower slums as they rallied around Fairy Tail.

They weren't the most effective against the well equipped guard, but the people grabbed whatever weapon they could fashion and took to the streets. Where they were lacking in skill and magic, they made up for in numbers and sheer determination. Especially with a magical guild backing them up.

Soon, Lucy was stunned to see the Magic Knights unable to progress any further out of fear of being overrun. Having no other choice, they abandoned the fight and broke ranks, fleeing back to the safety of the Upper Quadrants.

Lucy had no words for what she had just witnessed, even as Natsu approached her, dragging the body of Bora behind him as he prowled forward.

He dropped him in front of her as if he were presenting her with a present. Natsu looked a little grumpy still, but she suspected it was because she had prevented him from going all out on their enemies.

His eyes were falling over her, trying to pick out whether she was hurt and he reached out with one hand to touch her shoulder.

"You okay?" He growled quietly.

Lucy nodded, a myriad of emotions rushing through her. Relief that the battle was over. Worry about Natsu even though he looked fine. Shock that the Knights had been driven off like they had. And bewildered fear over Fairy Tail's appearance.

"I don't think you really are Lucy." Jellal murmured, catching her wide eyed look with a gentle, and knowing, look of his own, "You look like a woman who has had far too many shocks recently."

"I..." Lucy started, but trailed off, not really sure how to reply.

Jellal nodded and gently nudged her towards Bora's charred and groaning body, "You should relieve him of his orders and other documents now." He told her, "While you can verify with your own eyes that they haven't been tampered with by any of us."

Lucy stared at him for a long moment, confusion written on her face, "You're..." She licked her lips, "You're not going to drag us back to Fairy Tail?"

Indignation crossed Gajeel and Erza's faces, but Jellal held up his hand to cut off their comments, "No Lucy." He replied softly, his eyes meeting hers intently, "We aren't what you think we are. We will not force you and Natsu back if you don't want to go. We came because Gray is frantic with worry, but wouldn't break his promise to you."

Tears sprang up in her eyes at the mention of Gray, "Then what do you want from me?" She asked, a hint of hysteria in her voice, "I don't understand! Don't guilds always want something?"

"We would like to be your friends." Erza spoke up, a smile lighting her face as she understood what her lover was doing, "Truly. We've heard a great many stories about you, and we've seen your efforts. You don't know how much your charities have been appreciated here."

Lucy flushed and shifted awkwardly, "I wanted to help." She mumbled, "That's all."

"We know that." Jellal spoke up again, his voice still soft and gentle, "Which is why we helped you in turn. It was the least we could do. And you have a place with us for as long as you want one. You and Natsu both." His lips twitched, "Just please, the next time you decide to leave for a while, let Gray know?"

Lucy glanced at Natsu, who was grinning broadly, even proudly, at her, and she shook her head, "I don't understand Fairy Tail." She sighed, a hint of a smile on her lips, "You don't do anything like I expect, and you make no sense."

She hesitated for a moment, visibly gathering herself, "But..." She looked at Natsu again, "Maybe I could try to understand?"

She was too wary to commit herself fully, but maybe... just maybe... Fairy Tail would prove to be the exception.

Of course she was saved from making any real decision when she noticed Natsu picking Bora up by his ankles and shaking him upside down.

"What's the runt doin'?" Gajeel asked, crossing his arms as loose change and papers fell out from Bora's cloak.

"Natsu what are you doing!" Lucy grabbed onto the distraction with both hands, "Let him go!"

Immediately she regretted the order as Natsu released Bora in mid-shake, causing the Knight to land face first on the cement.

He pouted at Lucy, looking a little affronted over being stopped, "I was trying to find a souvenir!"

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling very tired now, "And why exactly would you need one?"

Natsu just opened his mouth and closed it, a flicker of confusion flashing over his face before he frowned and shrugged. He shook his head, not really having an answer for her.

"I don't know," He grumbled.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed on Natsu as he picked up a shiny necklace from the ground and wrapped it around his wrist a couple of times. He cleared his throat sharply, his eyes flickering away from the demon and back to Lucy.

"Alright girlie, we're heading back to the guild. You know where to find us if you want a piece of us," He flashed Natsu one last look before he took his leave.

Another portion of Fairy Tail took after his example and departed as well, leaving only Erza and Jellal.

Erza lifted her hand to Lucy and smiled at her, "Best of luck to you, whatever you decide."

Lucy stared at them in confusion. Hadn't she agreed to go back with them? Why were they saying goodbye?

Jellal chuckled softly, "The fact that you're considering giving us a fair chance doesn't mean you're forced to stay with us. Most of us don't live at the guild hall either." He flashed her a knowing look, "You're a wealthy, intelligent, woman Lucy. I'm certain you don't need us in every aspect of your life now that Natsu is healed."

Lucy's head spun. They were giving her freedom? Despite what had happened just now? She could really come and go as she liked?

"I... understand." She said slowly, and a slow, genuine, smile curled at her lips, "So... uh... we'll see you tomorrow? I guess?"

She felt more than a little awkward asking that, but she'd dealt with structure her whole life in one form or another. Having freedom, real freedom, was a strange and almost alien concept to her. She almost didn't know what to do with herself at the idea she could come and go as she pleased. Knight patrols not withstanding.

Erza and Jellal both smiled broadly, "We look forward to it Lucy." Erza replied as they headed off.

Lucy looked at Natsu, "We should go too." She told him, "I don't want to tempt fate before we get home."

 _Home._

Her safe house wasn't meant as one, but she could very easily see it becoming one, and the idea felt good. Better than she'd ever expected.

She bent down and picked up all the stray papers Natsu's unorthodox searching had produced, "I'll just be taking these Bora." She told the man primly and stepped over his body.

His groan of, "Not fair..." was ignored.

"So... where are we going?" Natsu asked curiously as they moved away.

"I have a place." Lucy admitted quietly, "It's a safe house I built a while back. I never thought I'd actually need it, but..."

So it turned out her original plan was the same one she would be sticking to. Tucking the papers she got from Bora under her arm to look at later, she grasped Natsu's hand, eyeing the golden chain he had picked up with vague interest.

With as much as had gone down, she wasn't about to scold him for stealing. Especially not from a creep like Bora.

So she guided him out of the lower quadrant of the city and closer to the upper crust. Strawberry Street was a distinct step up from the slums where Fairy Tail was located even if it wasn't quite the level she was used to.

Lucy _had_ been born and bred in the upper class after all. But as far as safety went, this was a perfect location for their needs since it was neither too wealthy nor too poor.

She found the key easily and stepped aside for Natsu to walk in first. Immediately he took to sniffing every surface, his head swiveling around him as he looked at his surroundings with rapt attention.

Lucy smiled at the action, a lot of tension bleeding out of her just by being in her own space. She wasn't a prisoner of Fairy Tail, and yet was somehow still on good terms with them, and that alone did a lot to ease her mind about their intentions.

She giggled a little as Natsu began inspecting the kitchen, "It's fully stocked." She told him in amusement, "Theoretically I have enough non-perishable supplies for the next six months. Though with your appetite that's debatable."

She stretched a little, something resembling actual _happiness_ creeping into her, "How about some chicken and rice?" She asked as she wandered in to join him, "It may not be up to Mira's standards, but I snuck all the cooking lessons I could from the chef when I was little."

She smiled as she nudged him aside and began rummaging through the cabinets and freezer. She'd spent a small fortune replacing frozen meat and things as they'd gone bad, but at the moment it was entirely worth the effort.

She dropped the frozen packet in his hands, "Can you thaw that out without cooking it?" She asked hopefully.

Natsu snorted at the implied order tugging at him, and wandered over to the sink, "Yeah, yeah... use me as a heater why don't you?" He mock-grumbled.

"You shouldn't give me ideas." Lucy smirked, "When you're done there's a bunch of matches by the fireplace and some logs. Feel free to eat while this cooks."

Natsu's excitement of getting to eat flames made him almost set the meat on fire. It was only because of Lucy's temperature control in her order that he didn't roast the chicken.

Instead he ran his hands over the chicken to defrost and let the water drip in the sink as the ice melted away. He snuck a glance at Lucy every now and then, almost surprised by her good mood.

He had to admit, this was a very nice place. Much better than her quarters in the Knight Halls even if those were exceedingly more lavish.

Natsu felt more at home in the rough grit of Fairy Tail, after all he had spent the better portion of four hundred years trapped behind a stone wall - or so Lucy said.

But this little home seemed just right for Lucy.

She looked happy, which was more than he could say to her mood when they had left.

Or since he had turned her entire life upside down.

As much as he liked his mistress, he wished he wasn't bound to her. Lucy's life had been thrown into so much turmoil and danger just because of him. As much as he would have happily remained at her side, he couldn't help but feel a guilty twist in his chest over how things were so wildly out of both of their control.

This seemed at least a little normal for her.

Natsu was grateful for the small miracle for what it was.

Lucy paid little attention to Natsu's eyes watching her as she cooked, though she was aware of them. When everything was finally set to simmer she quickly cleaned up and looked over at him, "You must think it's odd huh?"

Natsu cocked his head curiously mid-bite, "What do you mean?"

Lucy shrugged as she prowled over to join him, "I mean me." She clarified as she sat down, "I know I haven't exactly been the easiest to get along with lately. I resented being bonded to you, and I know that I haven't exactly been rational where Fairy Tail is involved either."

Natsu noticed her use of the past tense, and felt a small surge of hope that maybe she didn't resent things now. It was hard to tell with her. He could sense powerful feelings from her, but she was disciplined enough that he couldn't always tell what she felt, and so what she wanted.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Bora's papers contained confirmation of what you told me." Lucy continued oblivious to his thoughts, and sighed a little sadly, "You're about the last person that has any reason to lie to me. It's hard thinking that something I dedicated my life to could be that corrupt."

She eyed him, "About as hard as thinking maybe I was wrong about _a_ guild. But now we're here, and we have the freedom to decide for ourselves what we want to do and how we want to do it despite all the problems around us." She smiled, "And that's what makes me happy. This place is _ours_ and we can work freely now."

She shrugged a little sheepishly, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm starting to see things aren't what I think they are, and maybe we could start over a little?" She held out her hand to him, "As friends and partners?"

Natsu looked at her with such an odd expression on his face she was certain she had said something strange.

"But we can't," Natsu said in confusion that seemed to deepen on his face. He stared at her hand like it were a foreign appendage.

"You're my mistress," Natsu said as if that explained everything, "I'm not-..."

His frowned deepened as he struggled for the words he couldn't quite grasp.

"I don't know how?" He asked.

Lucy's expression cleared after Natsu was finished fumbling. She kept forgetting thanks to how much progress he had made in such a short amount of time, that there was much he didn't know.

And even more than what he was allowed to experience.

Lucy wondered how deeply Natsu could feel.

She set her hands on his wrists, knowing he was a physical person and leaned towards him, "I know you have this innate desire to protect me, but I'll fight right by your side."

"Even though you have to listen to me, you and I are equals. Okay? And that makes us friends," Lucy said with a patience that made him blink.

He smiled, hesitance in his eyes that followed a flicker of hope.

"Friends," he repeated.

Lucy nodded, happy he seemed to be understanding, "This is your home and I'm your friend."

Natsu looked mystified at that, his lips curling into a dopey smile.

"I've never had anything before," he breathed in awe.

Lucy's heart clenched a little at both the sight of his amazement, and the fact that he was wearing it over something so small and basic. Had she really been so caught up on her own prejudices and problems that she'd missed that?

How ironic was it that having the simple option to come and go as she pleased had done more to shake the blinders from her eyes than all of Gray's pleading over the past few days?

She silently resolved to do better in the future and smiled at him, "This only the beginning." She promised him, "I'm going to do my best to show you everything you've been missing."

She plucked at his shirt playfully, "Maybe tomorrow we can do some clothes shopping with the other stuff we have to pick up, and you can learn how to pick out clothes you actually like!"

Natsu cocked his head in confusion, "Why does it matter what I like?" He asked innocently, "You're my mistress."

Lucy nodded, "Yes, but that doesn't mean you're my clone Natsu." She tapped his temple gently, "Your thoughts are your own. Your knowledge is your own. And your perceptions are your own. You might try to cater to my perceptions and needs, but that doesn't mean we align."

She smiled, "You're allowed to have your own tastes in food or clothing or anything really. I won't punish you for liking something different from me." She smirked, "Though I reserve the right to give you my opinion, they're still your preferences and you have a right to them. Do you understand?"

Natsu wasn't sure that he did. The concept of having his own preferences for anything was strange. He didn't know what he liked and what he didn't except for Lucy and maybe Fairy Tail.

"How do I know what I like?" He asked confusedly, and Lucy laughed softly.

"You only find that out by experiencing something." She grinned, "And we'll get started on giving you new experiences tomorrow."

She could tell she would have to take this slow. She remembered how confused he'd always appeared over the concept of a want. Maybe by helping him figure out that he liked some things would help her shift into the idea of did he desire one thing over another.

It was only one more problem to add on top of an already hefty pile, but to her it was perhaps the most important one. She'd defied, and even betrayed, the Knights because he'd proved he was a sentient being under the blank exterior. And she knew the if there was any hope of them surviving in the days and weeks ahead until the problem with the council was dealt with one way or the other... he would have to become the most complete person he could.

Which meant it was up to her to teach him what everyone else took for granted.

Maybe that would be a good test project for Fairy Tail to help with?

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to everyone who reviewed!**_

 _ **Saints-Fan12 - NaLuFTfanatic - Searching for my Rushmore - MickDunD - animequeen100 - MehKitty - sthokatrina - RunningWithTheRiptide - Sara lovelymusic - XxWolfoftheMoonxX - FireDragonPPhia - panicatthediscofreak7 - Writing bunny - Kyrianae Narii - T-tawny - 13 - akamagerain - x willette x - SilverHeat - shdaria - o0vicarious-living0o - Jinx - FlameDragonHime - DancesWithSeatbelts - Unoyko94 - Kuki - Twishadowhunter - Guest - FireShifter - SolidScriptJess - Phiafairy - - GummyBears - Cuteness Overload - yucie - sammydalammy - NatsuXLucyForever - Kiarikano - BloodRedRubies - Yuyui Hime - michelynn96 - juvia team - NightLocker - - Cj233 - random103 - Fairytail-FMA-fan - caslspirit15 - KuroKitsunechan123 - Meakle8 - Guest - Guest - Guest - NinjaKittinz - - KaUia - Avengerika**_

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 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

When Lucy woke up the next morning, all she could see was pink.

Natsu, with all his wild hair was crouched down next to her bed and watching her sleep with such an intensity she thought her head was going to explode.

To her credit, she didn't scream.

"Natsu what are you doing so close to my face at-" she stole a quick glance at her clock, "six in the morning?"

His smile only widened on her, his eyes obscured by the long fringe of his hair that fell in untamed locks around his face. He really needed a haircut soon.

"You said we were going to do fun things today. I've been waiting for you to get up!" He breathed in an energetic rush.


	13. Sylph

Hey everyone! Thank you for coming by for another installment of Golem! I know you all are eager to get started, so I'll just address a few questions we've seen pop up more than once! It was also a question that popped up when Kytrin and I were posting Parallels, so I'll go ahead and talk about it now.

Yes, Golem is totally finished. We've written the whole fic out and it's ready to be posted. However please don't ask us to increase our updates or post it all at once.

I'll be honest, your reviews are our reward and we sorta don't want to skimp out on them. If we post more frequently, that gives people less of an opportunity to read the story and follow along with it. We're only human and we like to hear from everyone. :)

The second reason, which is actually more important than the first, is that we both have lives. Full time jobs that are demanding and sometimes a little random. We can easily burn out on a story if we aren't careful, and not many people realize how much time is spent combing over a chapter a second time. It can easily eat an hour we don't have into our days, and we take those two days between updates as a sort of reprieve.

I'm sure a lot of you would just like the story to read all at once, but for our sanity, please have mercy.

Without further babbling, here's our next update into Golem!

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, break, break, Post**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 13**_

 _ **Sylph**_

 _Sylph (also called sylphid) is a mythological creature in the Western tradition. The term originates in Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air, his elementals of air._

* * *

When Lucy woke up the next morning, all she could see was pink.

Natsu, with all his wild hair was crouched down next to her bed and watching her sleep with such an intensity she thought her head was going to explode.

To her credit, she didn't scream.

"Natsu what are you doing so close to my face at-" she stole a quick glance at her clock, "six in the morning?"

His smile only widened on her, his eyes obscured by the long fringe of his hair that fell in untamed locks around his face. He really needed a haircut soon.

"You said we were going to do fun things today. I've been waiting for you to get up!" He breathed in an energetic rush.

Lucy raised an eyebrow as she took that meaning and turned it over in her head.

"...Have you been awake the whole night?" She grumbled, trying to squint around the exuberant joy he practically radiated.

Natsu nodded eagerly.

"You know... if it weren't for the fact I've seen you sleep I'd wonder if you ever did." Lucy mumbled as she collapsed back onto her pillow and longingly contemplated smashing her face into it and going back to sleep.

She was most definitely _not_ a morning person by most definitions.

Unfortunately, she was awake now, she had an excited Natsu watching her, and the odds of getting back to sleep were slim to none.

She heaved a sigh and flung her blanket back before she could change her mind, "Okay, I'm up." She yawned, shooing him out of the way as she sat up, "But there _will_ be caffeine, food, and a bath first."

There was absolutely no mistaking her tone as anything other than an order with heavily implied, if unspecific, threat if it was not obeyed.

Fortunately for Natsu's continued existence he was more than happy to obey her order since that meant she was up and moving.

Though it didn't hurt any that he vividly recalled the muttered swearing and growling he'd seen on the occasions she'd been up early before. He loved his mistress, but she was scarier than him before her first cup.

Lucy paid no attention as she stumbled out of bed and shuffled towards the kitchen. She wasn't awake enough to care about his inner thought processes anyway.

As such she didn't notice him loping off to prepare her bath until she was dragging her half awake carcass over to the bathroom.

The cup of coffee she had prepared was clutched in her hands, and had she been more awake she would have been more surprised over his use of time.

It seemed he paid attention to her morning routine. She managed to crack a smile at Natsu before she shooed him from the bathroom. He was an insufferable brat, but she liked him all the same when he did things like this. Lucy got undressed and sank happily into the waters.

As time ticked on, she felt increasingly more alive with each passing moment. Soon she was able to face Natsu once again, even if it meant venturing out into the godforsaken early morning.

But she had promised she was going to show Natsu what it was like to be a person...

So she damn well was going to finish what she started. Although for the future ponderings, she hoped Natsu would keep their excursions to the hours people could function at.

The thought carried her as she finished getting ready and stepped out of the bathroom feeling much better. She hadn't eaten yet, but it was early enough the bakeries would probably just be getting their things out of the oven, and there was little that was more heavenly than fresh baked food.

"Okay Natsu." She said as she slid her keys onto her belt and fastened her belt around her waist, "Let's go. I'll start with introducing you to a bakery."

She was aware that he could probably eat an entire bakery on his own, and internally winced a little at the amount of money that would cost, but it wasn't like she couldn't afford it.

She didn't notice the way Natsu had stopped to stare at her in shocked surprise until she noticed he wasn't following her.

"Natsu?" She asked, looking over her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"You look weird!" Natsu blurted, and then flushed a little at the look on her face, "I mean... your clothes... they're all different."

Understanding dawned and Lucy smiled as she turned to let him have a good look, "You might not remember, but this is how I dress for a day out when I'm off duty." She grimaced, "We only had a couple of those and you were still pretty blank then."

And the rest of the time she pretty much dove straight for her pajamas when the day was over. That was probably what he remembered best.

Natsu crept forward to inspect this change, and decided it was a nice one. She didn't look anything like a Knight like this, or a weird mimic of Mira. It was all _her_. And it suited her as much as the house did.

Lucy rolled her eyes and tugged at a lock of hair a bit, "C'mon. I'm getting hungry."

Natsu licked his lips, Lucy watching the motion in clear amusement. His tongue nicked across his fangs and at the offended look on Natsu's face over his traitorous fangs hurting himself, she snorted.

Of course the thought of food would make him careless. She pulled the whining Natsu with her as they headed out to get some food. Lucy had a feeling they were going to have a very long day ahead of them.

-::-

Sure enough as the day progressed, and Natsu almost made the baker have to close shop for the day, Lucy managed to dragon him off to find a clothing vendor.

Clothes had a tendency of being expensive and weren't always easy to come by. Natsu had already burned the sleeves off more than half of the clothes he had worn so far.

They were going to have to find something a tad bit more on the durable side for him. Which meant something magically imbued.

His tapered ears wiggled under his shaggy hair as Natsu tried to take in all the sights and smells around him. Lucy sighed and grasped his hand.

"Stay close, and try not to look like such a tourist," She mumbled, "Try to blend in."

"But Luuuucy!" Natsu whined excitedly, "There's so much cool stuff to see!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched a little in amusement, "Yeah, but you don't need to gawk at it." She scolded lightly, "That attracts attention."

Natsu shot her a small pout. He could tell she wasn't really mad at him, yet, but she had a point about blending in. They were both still wanted by the Knights after all. So he sighed and tried not to look around at all the fascinating things all around them.

"C'mon you..." Lucy sighed, shaking her head a little as she dragged him into a magic shop that specialized in clothing.

She hadn't been to it before, though she'd heard about it from Juvia as she and Gray also needed clothes that would work with their magic, and smiled at the clerk behind the counter, "Hi. We need some clothes that would suit a strong fire type wizard."

The old man smiled, "Ah yes. I heard one might be coming through soon. Right this way. Don't worry, I've got all the latest styles."

Lucy blinked as he led them to a small area where Natsu could change on one side, and they could get a good look from several mirrors. This was the first time she'd ever been shopping for magical clothes, and she was mildly surprised how much it reminded her of upscale shopping.

"So... how does this work?" She asked curiously as Natsu looked around at the various pieces on display.

"It's simple really." The man replied, "My clothes are woven from special magically sensitive cloth. Once you pick out what you want I'll attune it to the wearer. That will guarantee their magic works with it and not against it. Of course, it doesn't cover external damage unless you specifically purchase self repairing armor."

Lucy blinked again, and shrugged. She was fairly new to this idea, and her magic didn't require anything special like Natsu's did. Though the self repair idea sounded pretty good.

"Alright then, let's get started." She grinned at Natsu, privately enjoying that her new friend was going to get his very first experience with this, "So Natsu... do you see any colors you like?"

Natsu's eyes flickered uncertainly towards her, and then again back at the colors he was supposed to pick. All of a sudden he felt a bit cornered, making a decision like this by himself seemed overwhelming.

Lucy drew in close, looking over his shoulder and set a hand on the back of his arm. He looked over at her helplessly, not quite sure what he was supposed to do.

"Which ones pop out to you first?" Lucy asked helpfully.

Relaxing a bit, Natsu grinned at the easy way she worked around the phrasing, and he pointed out a couple of colors that jumped out at him. Black was striking against gold, and dark reds and blues caught his eye quickly.

"Those are some good colors, let's see if we can come up with something with them," Lucy smiled at the man, who jotted them down and directed Natsu to the center of the room.

"What're we doing?" Natsu asked as he tamely went along with the man, but his eyes were narrowed with confusion.

"He's going to take your measurements Natsu, how else will your clothes fit you?" Lucy asked, clearly amused by his shift in attitude and the way he seemed to be sulking.

"Magic?" Natsu grumbled as the man pushed his arms out to each side of him.

Lucy laughed a little and grinned as the measuring began, "Natsu, this is what we call tailoring your clothes. By the time he's done your clothes will be the best fitting you've ever had, and I promise he'll make them look good."

She patted his shoulder and started browsing through the various styles on display. They were all uniformly white at the moment, unless there was an image on it, but that wasn't a problem. Color change magic for clothes had been around for centuries. They could change anything to Natsu's desired colors without any problem.

"Since you're a brawler type, we'll need something tough enough to stand up in your average fight." She mused as she pulled various shirts, vests, and pants off the rack for Natsu to try.

"A fighter eh?" The man replied, "That's another customization I can add easy. I get requests for stuff like that even from non-mages. Folks like having durable clothing they won't have to replace in a year or less."

"I can believe that." Lucy smiled as she made her way back over to where Natsu was sulking as the man flitted around him.

She held up a pair of pants and a sleeveless shirt, "I'm thinking something like this?" She told him, "Or something similar. You'll want stuff that's comfortable, but easy to move in."

Natsu wasn't sure. He was having a hard time telling the difference between some of the strange things Lucy had picked out. It just didn't look interesting all in white.

In the end, it took Lucy shoving a combination in his hands and ordering him to change into it before he understood. When he came out he was immediately hit with the colors magic and his eyes widened in awe at the amazing difference it made.

He turned around to look at himself, his eyes widening as he held his arms out at his side.

"Whoa, this is neat!" He gasped, impressed despite himself. Clothes didn't particularly appeal to him, but even he had to admit there was something ridiculously neat about being able to see everything laid out on him like this.

He stretched out and flexed at the waist, testing out how the clothes would fall when he needed to jump into a complicated fight.

"But Lucy, what about my-" He lifted his arms up, the odd tattoos curling around his biceps to taper down at his forearms on display. A flicker of worry flashed over his face and he cocked his head at her.

"It's okay Natsu," Lucy cleared her throat, "No one will mind a little ink. There are plenty of people who have tattoos on their arms like this, and it might even help you blend in with a different kind of crowd." She smiled.

Natsu nodded in understanding, secretly pleased not to have anything covering his arms anyway. He rather liked having them exposed. It would be easier to conjure his fire better.

And that meant protecting Lucy was ideal.

They went through a few more sets like that before settling on four different complete outfits that Natsu could mix and match. Though Lucy thought she would save that concept for later. Working out color and style preferences had been difficult enough.

The end result was worth it though.

Watching Natsu move around the store in one of his new outfits, a vest and pants combination that he'd insisted on as soon as he saw it, she was pretty sure she hadn't seen him look more pleased with himself.

She was feeling pretty pleased with herself too despite the difficulties. It had taken far less time than she'd thought for Natsu to start to get the idea that he was in control of his clothes, and if he saw something he liked he could say so.

Admittedly, he'd still deferred to her opinion ultimately, but the fact he'd shown such an eager interest in even one thing was a huge step for him.

"You look good Natsu." She praised with a smile, not even bothering to try and haggle the price down as she paid. The elderly tailor had done really good work, and had dealt with walking Natsu through buying clothes with a dignity and calm that deserved reward.

She smiled at the man, "Thanks again. I can promise we'll be back."

"It was my pleasure." The man replied as Lucy grabbed the bags and tugged Natsu, who was still admiring his new sandals, out the door.

"How about some ice cream as a treat?" She asked as they stepped out into the afternoon heat, "I think we've earned it."

"Why?" Natsu raised an eyebrow as he unloaded the bags from Lucy automatically and slung them over his shoulder. He shadowed behind her, his eyes falling over the set of her shoulders and her elegant strides.

He couldn't help but notice how small she was. Especially the way her hand slipped around his wrist, delicate against his sturdy arm. He blinked curiously and followed her arm up to her face, and she puffed her cheeks out. There was a tint of pink to them, and Natsu thought she looked a bit like a weird fish like that.

"This was something new for you right? So we should celebrate it! Come on Natsu, I know you like fire, but I'm sure ice cream will sit just right with you too," Lucy winked and dragged him over to a vendor.

She was getting it for him?

Natsu blinked as he tried to wrap his mind around that one, holding the bags dumbly as she asked for sample spoons for the different flavors and had him taste the different ones.

He was startled over the frostiness of it, and the strange flavor confused him, but gradually he warmed up to the cooling treat.

Lucy laughed as Natsu tried various flavors, and generally made a mess as he raced to eat it before his natural heat melted it. It looked like he was having fun though, even if he didn't realize it as he battled his treat. She wondered if he'd even noticed he'd gone through four different scoops and a banana split?

Probably not.

She didn't mind though. She got to relax and enjoy one of her favorite treats and laugh at his efforts; despite the pouts he occasionally shot her.

Once they were done, and Natsu had conceded defeat with his latest bowl, she stretched and stood up, "C'mon." She smiled, "Why don't we go show everyone your new things?"

At Natsu's uncomprehending expression she shrugged, "I promised we would show up to today, and it's already afternoon. We'll need to get a move on if we're going to get there today."

She didn't mention the fact that she would not willingly break a promise if she could help it. It was extremely bad form for a celestial wizard.

She wasn't sure if he knew that or not, but it didn't matter since that was their next destination anyway.

Natsu perked up at the idea of visiting Fairy Tail. He was pretty sure Lucy hadn't been lying that they would go back, but he was happy to hear that she was really making an effort. He knew her prejudice ran deep, but Fairy Tail had given her enough reason to take a leap of faith, and maybe now things would be better.

"Yeah!" He grinned, "Let's go!"

As they two disappeared back into the crowd, eyes followed them from a distance.

It wasn't enough to draw Natsu's attention in earnest, although he looked up curiously as a familiar sensation he couldn't quite place ran down his spine.

Shrugging it off, they took a turn, leaving the plaza, and the eyes.

The one who had been watching them was a girl with short hair and strange ears hidden by a cloak. She scurried through the streets and when she found a private place, withdrew a beaten up lacrima from her bag.

"Lord Mard Geer," She breathed into the magical object, eyes alight with glee, "It's as you said. I found the golem. It's here in Magnolia, bound to an ugly mortal hussy."

"Is that so Lamy?" The answering voice of her master echoed through the lacrima, "and how did it look?"

"Really hot," Lamy sighed dutifully. But at the uncomfortable silence which greeted her at the other end, she cleared her throat, cheeks flushing, "Oh, ah, his markings looked different from the archive pictures, and he was actually interacting with his mistress."

"Interesting..." Mard Geer purred, "Was the mortal insect giving it orders, or was it reacting of it's own free will?"

Lamy frowned for a moment as she thought, "It was hard to tell over the noise, but it looked like the golem was interacting on his own."

"Then Master Zeref's creation may not have been one of his few failures after all." Mard Geer mused, "Further, it seems our dear master may have left us a clue to his whereabouts by the golem's tattoos."

There was a long moment of silence as Mard Geer considered his options, "Contact our friends in Phantom Lord and monitor the situation Lamy." He ordered, "Have them find out who this mortal is and how she was able to awaken the golem. If possible have them attempt an extraction from its current location."

"Yes sir!" Lamy responded, "And if they can't extract the golem?"

Mard Geer shrugged, "Then we will provide suitable incentive for the Golem to leave the city on its own."

The lacrima went dark, and Lamy slipped it back into her cloak. There was work to do, and she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing their master again. Maybe this time she would be allowed to play with the golem for a while? He really was incredibly hot…

* * *

 _ **Please make sure you read the authors note at the top!**_

Thank you for everyone who reviewed!

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 ** _30 REVIEWS GETS YOU A SNEAK PEEK_**

 _Cana crowed in laughter as she spread out a flush of cards on the table. A chorus of groans followed her._

 _"Read 'em and weep boys! Off with your shirts!" She cried in victory._

 _Natsu slid his vest off, "I think you're cheating."_

 _Poker was a strange game, and he found he had quite the competitive streak in him._

 _But Cana was a card shark if he had ever seen one. Which he hadn't, but Lucy called her that..._

 _"How is it that you started off wearing less than us but we're the ones suffering?" Gray grouched._

 _"Gray, the lady said to ditch the shirt, not the pants," Gajeel snorted._

 _There was a round of laughter as Gray flipped out over having stripped his pants as well without realizing it, and Lucy shook her head from where she was sitting with Juvia._

 _"It's nice to know some things don't change anyway." She commented as she sipped at her drink._


	14. Morrigan

_Thank you for everyone who left us a review! FF was being weird about it but we ARE getting them! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Act 1 is almost over! We'll be moving into Act 2 soon. And just so you know, this fic, unlike Parallels, is a 3 Act structure instead of 4._

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 14**_

 _ **Morrigan**_

 _The Morrígan is primarily associated with fate, especially with foretelling doom and death in battle. In this role she appears as a crow, flying above the battlefield. The Morrígan has thus been likened to the Valkyries_ _and Norns_ _of Germanic mythology. She is also associated with sovereignty, and her connection with cows may also suggest an association with wealth and the land._

* * *

Natsu let out a shriek of laughter as he crashed directly into Gajeel's back. The man let out an angry roar and tried to swat at him, but only managed to nail Gray directly in the face. Gray, who had been the source of Natsu's impromptu flailing, fell right into Lucy.

"Hey!" Lucy growled before Natsu could even blink, "If you three are going to be rough housing, do it where you won't smash into me!"

Natsu made a distressed noise in the back of his throat before a wicked smirk split his face, "Lucy, do you wanna play?" He wheedled.

"I don't think what you three are doing could be considered playing," Lucy's response came out dry, if a little amused.

It had been one whole month since her perceptions had been shattered.

Well, since her perceptions had cracked anyway. It had taken a little longer for them to be properly broken.

It had started with Fairy Tail's rescue and then the promise that she and Natsu could come and go as they pleased, but that hadn't been the end of it. Ending a lifetime of prejudice and forgiving the people she'd trusted didn't happen overnight.

No, it had taken the better part of a week and a half before she really believed that no one in Fairy Tail was going to change their minds and try to make her a prisoner. About as long as it had taken her to truly forgive Gray, Juvia, and Levy for their deceptions. Though those first conversations afterwards had definitely been awkward.

Surprisingly though, it had been Gajeel that had set the tone for the rest of the guild softening their attitudes with her. She wasn't sure why exactly. Just one day the gruff wizard was watching her with narrowed eyes and the next he was making sure she had a seat with a clear route to the exit.

It made her wonder if perhaps he'd worked out the cause of her nerves, but he never said anything. Though she definitely appreciated the gesture.

"But Lucy!" Natsu whined, breaking into her thoughts, "It would be fun!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to summon my spirits just for a brawl." She replied dryly, "And I don't stand a chance against you guys with just my whip."

"I hate to break it to you Lu, but guild wide fights are pretty common." Levy giggled next to her.

Lucy huffed, "Yeah, but they don't have to include me! Seriously, if the fighting is that much of a thing why don't you guys just build a match cage or something and fight it out in there?"

There was a moment of complete silence that caused her to look back at the three men that had been wrestling, and she blinked as all three stared at her with varying degrees of surprise and awe.

"What?"

"An entertaining thought which would no doubt save us a great deal in expenses," Jellal approached, amusement flickering over his face, "However it is an endeavour for when we gain our independence. Until then, they have to take it outside."

"That _would_ be nice though," Levy said thoughtfully as the fight was smashed before they could get going in earnestness.

Natsu plopped down besides Lucy and rested his cheek on the curve of her shoulder, his gaze hollowing out as he stared off in space. She just hummed in acknowledgement of his presence and his sometimes tactile need to be in contact with her.

"Just think, it could be a great event, mages and guilds competing out in the open without having to hide," Levy said wistfully, "And maybe even events mixed in with fighting matches. Something for everyone to see!"

Lucy wondered if such a thing was possible. If it were in the future, then it would mean guilds becoming legal.

She still wasn't sure about other guilds, but being able to legalize a guild like Fairy Tail so it could operate alongside the council...

...that held promise.

Lucy almost jolted in shock when she felt a warm nose and lips pressing into her neck. She whipped around, fixing Natsu a flustered look as he seemed to be nodding off.

Sure enough the fire demon was beginning to drape more heavily on her, his hands moving to guard around her waist. It was almost territorial.

"Um..." Lucy said, prodding a little at Natsu's prone form as her cheeks heated up, but he was already firmly falling asleep, and she knew from experience that nothing short of an earthquake or an emergency would wake him up.

"It's not funny!" Lucy pouted at Levy, who had promptly dissolved into giggles.

"Yes it is!" Levy grinned in reply, "It's hilarious. Especially considering the way you two were in the beginning."

Lucy rolled her eyes, but felt her heart warm at Levy's words. It felt good to be able to talk about this stuff with the people who had been there in the beginning.

"So how have things been lately?" Levy asked eagerly. She was still undercover, so it wasn't possible for her to get away more than once a week or so on different days. Which, conveniently, finally explained where Levy ran off to on some afternoons or her days off.

"Good." Lucy reported with a smile, resigning herself to her fate and getting comfortable, "I've been working with Natsu a lot on experiencing new things. I think he's starting to really get the hang of preferences and that I won't be mad if he prefers something I don't."

"I haven't quite gotten him to where he's figured out wants yet, but I think we're getting there."

Levy smiled at her friend, "That's good to hear Lu, but I was asking about you." She gestured at the guild around them, "I know this hasn't been easy for you."

"No. It hasn't." Lucy murmured in agreement, "But you know... I'm starting to really like Fairy Tail." She smiled softly, "I think if I had to pick a guild, of all the examples I've seen I'd pick this one to be a model for all the others."

She shook herself a little, "But you already knew that." She smirked playfully, "Honestly, not much has changed since last week."

Levy nodded, "That's good. I've been hearing rumors that the council is furious you escaped with Natsu and apparently sided with the guilds. They're trying to build up a lot of heat on you. We'll need to do something soon or Magnolia will be too hot for you to stay."

Lucy frowned at that, "That's not good news, but it's not anything surprising at this point. The problem is, there's only so much we can do without creating a civil war, and that's not something we want."

"I'll try to find out more for you." Levy promised as she stood up, "I've got to go though. They're keeping a closer eye on me than before because I'm your friend, so I can't take too long."

"Alright Levy, take care," Lucy smiled at her, but almost fell over when Natsu's weight shifted.

Levy just laughed as Lucy managed to twist around so Natsu was totally dislodged out of revenge. He spluttered something incomprehensible, but it seemed to morph into some growls and whines.

Levy got up, quietly excusing herself as she headed to the door, only to stop when there was a figure blocking her way.

Gajeel stood at the door frame, his arms crossed and red eyes glowering down at Levy. He looked angry about something, which wasn't saying much. Gajeel was always upset about something it seemed. Levy hid a smile.

"When are ya gonna quit stickin' your neck out shrimp?" He didn't bother with preambles, getting right to the point.

Levy smiled, knowing how much Gajeel had hated her being undercover, and as a result having to use his breath weapon on her before his 'escape'. Even if all it had done was give her a few scrapes. He was a much bigger softie than he wanted to let on.

"I'll be fine Gajeel," Levy said patiently, edging around him to get to the door. He stuck his arm out across the frame, halting her motions, and his fangs grit down.

"You didn't tell blondie over there the whole truth. The entire council is getting hot. Too hot for you to stay in longer," His growl came out rumbling and low.

"If not me, then who?" Levy asked him calmly, but met his eyes fiercely, "Things aren't so hot I can't stick around a little longer, and we need the information."

Gajeel's eyes narrowed, "We need you in one piece at the end of it more shrimp. Information ain't worth your life."

Levy blinked, a little surprised at how much this was really bothering him, and dropped a hand on his arm, "Just trust me alright?" She asked, "I'm not going to risk my life for this information. I promise." She glanced at Lucy, who had managed to get Natsu draped over her again somehow, "They know I was her friend, but I'm not much more than a glorified librarian to them. They're not watching me _that_ closely."

Gajeel growled sulkily. He didn't like this one bit. For all her dealings with the seedier side of society, Levy was still relatively innocent to how men in power operated. She didn't see the giant flashing danger sign he did.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like she was going to listen either.

"Fine." He grumbled and moved out of the way, "You stay out of trouble shrimp. Or I promise I'll haul you back here personally."

Levy smiled, amused by the idea of Gajeel tucking her under his arm and running off. Sadly, she was acutely aware he could do exactly that if he had a mind to, but it was sweet that he cared enough to threaten it.

Levy knew with Gray's cover broken, and by extension Juvia's, it meant she was blowing in the wind without backup. But she was determined to stick it out for as long as possible.

It wasn't just Fairy Tail that needed the information she provided. A lot of people were counting on the tips she could filter down.

"Thank you Gajeel," She smiled gratefully up at the taller man and stepped around him before he could change his mind.

"I'll see you in a week," She promised and disappeared down the street.

Gajeel's eyes followed her, reluctance causing his shoulders to hunch as the small woman faded from even his sharp sight.

Lucy, who was still trying to juggle the dead weight of Natsu, caught sight of the look on Gajeel's face. Leveraging Natsu's jaw upwards and ignoring the whining coming from the demon, she cocked her head at the iron mage.

"Does Gajeel like Levy?" Lucy asked no one in particular, not noticing the heat crawling up the back of Gajeel's neck. Natsu distracted her by lifting his head and giving Lucy a somewhat confused, if drowsy look.

"What? Did I say something weird?" Lucy asked Natsu, who just continued to give her a strange look. The demon shrugged.

This time he captured her in his arms and spread his legs to pull her against his chest. He rolled backwards on the table, oblivious to Lucy's screech of dismay over being recaptured.

And in seconds he was asleep all over again, with no escape for Lucy this time.

And by the time she looked up, Gajeel was gone.

Meanwhile, Levy sighed softly as she resolutely headed home, careful to take a route that would pass one of the various used bookstores she liked to frequent. The owner was one of their grown up network kids from the master's era, and had agreed to be her cover alibi when she went to report in.

It was sad that such precautions had to be taken, but there was little they could do if they wanted to remain in the city.

She sighed again as the thought of leaving Magnolia and striking out on their own fluttered through her mind. There were many guilds who had done that. They'd gotten fed up with dealing with the oppression from their various homes, and simply left to find a place they could be in peace.

And she would be lying if she denied that part of her wished for the same. She hated the sneaking around and lying she had to do to keep her family safe. But there was no denying the fact that they helped far more by staying than they did leaving.

It was a problem with no easy answer that was for sure. The covert life in the city was a difficult one. One their master had been forced to back out of once his heart problems became known. Not that he was any less their master of course. Without him they would've been captured a long time ago. And she knew Erza and Jellal went through him before any big decisions were made. His retirement hadn't dulled his wits any after all, he was just too old to go crawling through sewer tunnels and the like anymore.

At least they got to see him on a daily basis up in the bar.

She shook her head to try and clear it, never noticing the shadows trailing behind her until hard hands grabbed her from behind.

She let out a muffled squeak of surprise, but didn't get a chance to fight back before something bashed her in the back of the head knocking her senseless.

-::-

Cana crowed in laughter as she spread out a flush of cards on the table. A chorus of groans followed her.

"Read 'em and weep boys! Off with your shirts!" She cried in victory.

Natsu slid his vest off, "I think you're cheating."

Poker was a strange game, and he found he had quite the competitive streak in him.

But Cana was a card shark if he had ever seen one. Which he hadn't, but Lucy called her that...

"How is it that you started off wearing less than us but we're the ones suffering?" Gray grouched.

"Gray, the lady said to ditch the shirt, not the pants," Gajeel snorted.

There was a round of laughter as Gray flipped out over having stripped his pants as well without realizing it, and Lucy shook her head from where she was sitting with Juvia.

"It's nice to know some things don't change anyway." She commented as she sipped at her drink.

"That's true." Juvia laughed, "Gray contained his temper during his undercover work, but there were some things that just would not be contained."

Lucy rolled her eyes in amusement, but before she could say anything a booming voice that was terrifyingly familiar sounded outside.

"Could I have the attention of the council of Magnolia and Fairy Tail?"

"No..." Lucy breathed in horror, her own nightmares rushing to the surface, "It can't be him!"

"Lucy?" Juvia asked, not liking the way her friend had paled so suddenly, "What's wrong?"

Lucy, however, wasn't listening. She'd already shot to her feet and sprinted for the door, Natsu hot on her heels as he felt her distress, only to skid to a halt at the sight that greeted her.

There, on a giant projection, was Jose. The Master of Phantom Lord. Her own personal nightmare come to life. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself at the sight of that disgusting smile.

"I have a little present for you." He continued, shifting to reveal a bound Levy dangling from a hook.

Lucy's heart lurched in horror at the sight. She was familiar with that hook, her worst beatings had taken place while she was in Levy's position, and the sight of her friend on it was sickening.

"Levy..." She whispered, barely recognizing Natsu and the others catching up to her, "No..."

"Now, before the council gets any ideas... I have something to show them." Jose continued and the back of Levy's shirt was torn off to reveal her Fairy Tail mark, "It seems you had more than one fairy fly buzzing around your ranks, and we all know how annoying flies can be!"

He gestured and one of his minions, Lucy refused to think of them as anything else, lunged forward and punched Levy hard in the stomach, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Fairy Tail has something that I want." He continued, a slightly demented look crossing his face at the sound of Levy's cries of pain, "I'm politely asking the council to not interfere while I retrieve it. Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you, your town, or your citizens." He smirked, "Better hurry though Fairy Tail. I'm not sure how long she'll last."

"Who are they?" Natsu growled angrily, his warm hand coming up to rest on Lucy's shoulder. It grounded her for a moment, enough for her to open her mouth but not quite answer.

"Phantom Lord," Gray said stiffly. He shifted backwards, anger bubbling in his eyes. His fists shook.

"Phantom Lord is trying to take a shot at Fairy Tail without the council getting in the way," Gray snapped, his shoulders stiffening, "Well that's fine by us. We can attack back without the Knights getting in the way."

"They won't get a chance to regret what they've done!" Gajeel snarled furiously. His arms trembled and Lucy had just enough mind to turn around and see him storming off.

As the rest of Fairy tail backed off following Gajeel's lead, Gray lingered.

He set his hand on Lucy's shoulder and squeezed gently, "This is Fairy Tail's fight. You don't have to get close to this."

"I know it can be rough," Gray murmured, "But we will get her back. I promise."

With those words he departed and left her alone with Natsu. The demon's eyes flashed uncertainly towards the rest of the guild.

"Phantom Lord are the same people who hurt you, aren't they?" Natsu asked softly

Lucy nodded, and tore her eyes away from the giant screen and Levy's torment as it winked off, "I can't let her go through that Natsu." She told him hoarsely, "I can't sit by while my friend goes through that!"

Natsu met her gaze evenly, "I can appreciate that." He told her quietly, "But Lucy, are you sure you're gonna be up to joining this fight?"

Lucy hesitated. Part of her wanted to insist that she was fine and she had to join the fight because there was no way she could do less. But she forced herself to take a step back and think about it. Was she capable of joining this fight?

No matter what else, the Rune Knights had taught her the signs of trauma and the dangers of those facing the same trauma. Some people were able to treat it as a catharsis and move past it, but some couldn't.

Could she?

The answer came to her almost immediately.

Yes. She could.

For Levy's sake she would tear Phantom Lord apart if she had to.

She'd nursed that hurt and anger for six whole years. It was past time she let it be used for the target it was intended for.

Her eyes narrowed with determination and she nodded, "I will not leave Levy to _them_." She growled, "That's one guild I would be more than happy to tear apart!"

Natsu canted his head, sliding around in front of her. He smiled at her, his lips pulling over deadly sharp fangs.

"Just say the word Lucy," his voice was rough with the promise of something dark. He pressed in close to her, a very serious but distinctly wicked impulse flashing in his eyes.

Lucy hesitated as she looked at him, not sure what exactly he was promising. He had the clear look of a demon about him, and Lucy knew when they promised something, it was often carried out.

"I don't know what's going to happen Natsu," Lucy admitted to him. In truth she was more afraid than she was probably showing. But Natsu would know that.

"I trust you to do what you think you have to," Lucy touched his neck where it was covered by coiling ink.

Natsu purred and pressed his forehead against hers, "I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy Lucy." He growled softly at her, causing a shiver of goosebumps to run over her arms and back before he pulled away, "And that includes not doing anything that would hurt you."

Lucy blushed a bit despite the situation, but nodded. It was probably about the best she was going to get all things considered. After all, despite his progress Natsu was bound to her, and he was definitely still a demon. His perceptions were no doubt different from her own.

"Then let's do what we have to for Levy." She replied, and they took off in the direction the rest of the guild had already gone.

No doubt they'd expected her to stay behind as Gray had said. It was too bad she had other plans.

However, it didn't take them long to catch up. Phantom Lord had clearly gotten some upgrades from the last time she'd seen them, and they were pulling out all the stops.

"Lucy! What are you doing here?" Gray exclaimed in surprise as he punched one of Phantom's weaker guild members.

"Did you seriously think I would let Levy be tortured by _them_ without a fight?" Lucy asked venomously as she pulled her whip, "No way! They're everything I hate in guilds and I'm not going to stand for it!"

"You ready Lucy?" Natsu demanded, fire erupting from his arms as his stance widened.

"Let's do this," She snapped her whip to her side which seemed to signal Natsu to jump in the fight.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu cried out, lunging into the battle like a blood knight.

* * *

 _Well fanfiction was dumb and I can't pull up everyone's reviews! But I know we got them since they showed up in my email! I would like to thank every one of you for reviewing anyway! You all made the cut for the sneak peek! I know that!_

 _Who is ready to see our favorite golem lose his shit?_

 _I am._

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS GETS YOU A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _Both enemies and allies alike toppled over from the force of his sudden power. He roared in fury, blind in his anger._

 _He didn't know how he knew. He just did. Lucy was not near him, and she was in danger. Probably afraid._

 _What was worse was that he promised her he wouldn't let them ever get their hands on her again._

 _"Natsu!" Gray shouted at the suddenly furious demon, "What's your damage!"_

 _"They've got Lucy!" Natsu roared back, his eyes bleeding demonic red from the force of his rage, "They did something to her!" He lashed his fire angrily at the fire poser that dared to try something while he was talking, "WHERE IS SHE?!" He roared, "WHERE IS MY MISTRESS?!"_

 _Totomaru stared in shocked fear as the fire he'd previously been controlling sent him flying across the room, "What kind of monster are you?"_

 _"The kind that's going to burn you to ash if you don't give me Lucy back!" Natsu snarled, his fangs bared menacingly._


	15. Phantom

_Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews, you all were so so awesome! Act one is almost over, after this one, we will start labeling them so you know where it starts up! Hope you stick with us all the way through!_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 15**_

 _ **Phantom**_

 _It is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Ghosts are generally described as solitary essences that haunt particular locations, objects, or people they were associated with in life, though stories of phantom armies, ghost trains, ghost ships, and even ghost animals have also been recounted._

* * *

The battle took place in the middle of the city plaza. It was center stage to all of Magnolia.

Lucy was a little surprised the council had taken Phantom Lords request to heart and weren't interfering. It seemed they had a grudge against traitors.

In a way that hurt a little. Sure, she'd seen the proof of their betrayal against her and the way some of the Knights had treated the lower class citizens was deplorable, but for them to deliberately hold back in a case like this? It ran counter to everything she'd ever believed about them.

She knew for a fact she wouldn't have stood for it had she still been a Knight, and chances are would've gotten herself into a lot of trouble for charging into battle on her own if necessary.

Perhaps it was just as well she was no longer a Rune Knight.

She shook the thought off as she slashed her key through the air, calling for Taurus, and the spirit appeared at her side as his dress wrapped around her.

Now was not the time for introspection. Now was the time for doing what she'd always fought to do. Destroy the enemy and protect the people as much as possible.

"Let's show these idiots why it's a bad idea to mess with us a second time Taurus!" She growled to her spirit, not noticing the sharp glances she got from some of the others in hearing range.

"You got it Mmmmiss Luuuucy!" Taurus mooed as they leapt into battle together.

She had already lost sight of Natsu in the crowd of bodies. He was busy eating the flames of a fire Mage that was trying to thin out the spread of Fairy Tail's mages.

He was trying to do his best to provide defensive aid even if his skill laid in the offensive side. Still it kept everyone capable of moving in sync and in one direction.

Of course that just meant there was more of a spray for him to hit. Which was good considering how far he was from her. Lucy knew he would have preferred to fight by her, but she was capable of handling herself.

In light of their opposition though, Lucy couldn't say she was totally at ease. Unfortunately that just meant she would have to shore up what little defenses she had already. Erza had already been forced to deflect a blast from a Jupiter cannon, which was apparently Phantom's idea of an opening shot. Something that didn't surprise her one bit.

She knew no matter the council's stance on inter guild fighting, they couldn't ignore a weapon like that. Not for long anyway.

It was likely they figured that once Phantom wore themselves out in the fight with Fairy Tail they would be able to swoop in to dismantle it in a very permanent way.

She grunted as she was knocked back and forth between the bodies of mages fighting for cover or to take a shot at her. Lucy was heading straight for the center.

As Taurus was so strong, she was able to cut a path easily through the mages.

Lucy never stopped to think about _how_ easy it was.

Something she would, in retrospect, kick herself for.

She knew how tricky Phantom Lord was. Even if some of the faces had changed the underlying issue of them being tricky wouldn't.

But she'd instinctively reverted to fighting as if this was an ordinary fight between guilds. A true mistake she was instantly aware of, and regretted, the moment crystalline mirrors popped up all around her.

"NO!" She exclaimed as she pounded at the glass, but it was of course much tougher than it looked.

"Don't think you're gonna escape that easily!" A female voice laughed derisively, "My mirrors are a lot stronger than they look."

No. Not this. Not again. Dark panic clawed its way up Lucy's throat like bile, and it was suddenly harder to breathe. She couldn't be here. Not trapped. Not again. She wasn't fifteen anymore! She knew how to fight! And she would. She would not give any of them the satisfaction of taking her down this easily.

Her dress changed to Loke's as she poured everything she had into a regulus kick. It rocked her prison, and she grinned wickedly.

"You won't take me down that easily!" She cried and poured herself into destroying the cage they wanted her in.

Outside her captor started to sweat and she glanced at her teammates, "I thought you said this chick was weak! I'm barely holding her!"

"It's so sad!" One of them bawled in response, "Such a promising mage! So tragic!"

"Aria, what are you bawling about now?"

"You must… you must drop the mirrors!" Aria sobbed, "I will take care of her. So sad!"

Lucy tensed at the sudden silence outside, anticipating another attack of some kind, but the last thing she'd expected was for the mirrors to vanish, and her moment of disorientation was all the opening that was needed.

She got a brief glimpse of a large shadowed shape flying at her before there was a clap that vibrated her very being and suddenly it was like all the energy and fight were drained out of her. She blinked in confusion as her stardress vanished and she toppled to the ground.

What had happened?

She couldn't tell. It was too hard to think. All she could do was stare uncomprehendingly at the two people in front of her before her eyes closed of their own volition and she sank into darkness.

Natsu sensed the disturbance with Lucy from across the battlefield. He stopped in the middle of his fight, earning himself a punch square to the jaw.

Before he had thrown himself in the fight, enjoying the chance to spread his limbs and deliver a good helping of pain on the men responsible for Levy.

Earlier he had seen Gajeel eat the hook that she had been hanging from and could only assume the strange metal bender was taking good care of her.

But he could tell Phantom Lord had just escalated their problem.

Confirmation roared in his blood and his magic unleashed in a violent wave.

Both enemies and allies alike toppled over from the force of his sudden power. He roared in fury, blind in his anger.

He didn't know how he knew. He just did. Lucy was not near him, and she was in danger. Probably afraid.

What was worse was that he _promised_ her he wouldn't let them ever get their hands on her again.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted at the suddenly furious demon, "What's your damage!"

"They've got Lucy!" Natsu roared back, his eyes bleeding demonic red from the force of his rage, "They did something to her!" He lashed his fire angrily at the fire poser that dared to try something while he was talking, "WHERE IS SHE?!" He roared, "WHERE IS MY MISTRESS?!"

Totomaru stared in shocked fear as the fire he'd previously been controlling sent him flying across the room, "What kind of monster are you?"

"The kind that's going to burn you to ash if you don't give me Lucy back!" Natsu snarled, his fangs bared menacingly.

"Natsu wait!" Gray exclaimed as he pushed his way over to the demon, and held up his hands at the boiling look he was given at his interruption, "This jerk's not gonna know where they took Lucy." He said reasonably, "You were kicking his ass the whole time."

He was interrupted from saying more by another screen with Jose's face on it appearing, "Hello Fairy Tail." The man oozed, "I see you've managed to make a mess of the place." He sneered, "Typical fairy scum behavior. However, you might be interested to see the lovely little prize I picked up."

The screen shifted, and a limp, green complexioned, Lucy appeared.

She'd been bound and thrown carelessly on the floor unconscious. A sight that had fire erupting all over Natsu's body.

"Yes, that's right. We picked up Miss Heartfilia a few minutes ago." Jose smiled, "Imagine my surprise when I found out she was the one who had bound the mighty END to herself. Such delicious irony given our acquaintance six years ago."

His expression hardened, "This, however, is nothing compared to what we'll do if END doesn't give himself up to our custody. You have one hour to decide."

The screen went black, leaving more than one person blinking in bewilderment.

"Those dirty, rotten, bastards!" Gray raged, the temperature around him plunging except where Natsu was, "They have the gall to lay a single finger on her again after what they did?!"

"They're not going to get the chance to try again," Natsu grit his fangs. The red in his eyes seemed to bloom. His stomach twisted as Phantom Lord's bigger plan came into focus.

They must have known Levy was Lucy's friend. Must have known she would come to fight.

By extension Natsu would come.

It was about him.

His hands balled into angry fists. Veins throbbed up his arms to the pulse point in his throat. Fire felt like it was erupting from every inch of him from within.

"Natsu, what the hell are you about to do?" Gray demanded, whipping around to see where he was already cutting an angry path through the mages.

Natsu glared over his shoulder at Gray. There was something glittering in his eyes that the ice mage stop.

"They want END?" Natsu growled thickly, "That is precisely what they will get!"

Gray hesitated for a moment and nodded, "Alright. You go melt his face off pyro. Just try not to demolish the place before Jellal can re-gather her magic energy okay? She'll need that to help her recover from that attack." He met Natsu's eyes seriously, "And get her out of there as fast as you can. We've seen this before. It nearly killed gramps once."

He backed up a step, "We'll keep the rest of these jerks off your back."

Natsu blinked a little at the unexpected information and cooperation, but nodded. He knew how much Gray valued Lucy as a friend, and how protective he was of her. It said a lot that he was willing to back down now and let him deal with it.

He turned and plowed straight through the nearest wall, melting it instantly as it barely even slowed him down.

Gray shook his head as the demon left, "You better not die or get captured pyro." He muttered before turning his attention back to the fight at hand. He had to find Jellal. No one else knew how to collect magic energy like he could.

Natsu, meanwhile, barely paid attention as he tore through walls all over the weird compound. He ignored the various fights and people he tore past, though part of him was mindful enough not to roast his allies, until he reached the top layer where that bastard had to be holding Lucy.

He kicked the door off its hinges and stormed inside, wreathed in flame, "You asked for END?" He snarled dangerously as he stalked forward, "Where is Lucy?"

He didn't even know where he was. All Natsu was aware of was the pull from Lucy taking him to where he needed to go.

He just stared at the man who had called him there. He sat on a throne, a large hat sitting on his head.

Everything about him made something in Natsu boil. Especially the slimy way he smiled.

"Ah END, I am so happy you got my message," The Master smirked in amusement, seemingly pleased by his appearance.

"I won't ask you again, where is Lucy," Natsu, snarled vicious in his questioning.

He advanced towards the Master of Phantom Lord, Jose, his mind supplied. He was certain he had heard the other members of Fairy Tail speak about him.

He knew his trickery and lust for violence. Natsu practically felt it dragging through the magic in the air. Evil always had a stink about it. There was always darkness that lingered.

Natsu knew without words what Jose wanted. His power. His magic.

"Lucy is quite safe I assure you." Jose purred, "We've put her up in her old room for the moment. It's quite comfortable as befits a lady of her station. Though, of course, how long she remains comfortable and unharmed depends entirely on how cooperative you are."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. He could sense it now. Lucy was being held somewhere in a room behind Jose. Good. That meant he could go all out without risking accidentally roasting her.

"I'm not going to cooperate with you human." He snarled darkly, "You've got two choices here. Either get out of my way so I can retrieve my mistress or find out what it's like to be turned into a cinder."

His flames flexed as he stalked closer, spotting the door that likely led to Lucy, "Better decide soon. I'm not in a waiting mood."

Jose's expression darkened, "It's a shame you're going to be difficult about this." He snapped, his own powers flaring, "But if that's the way you want it far be it from me to stop you!"

He raised his hand and unleashed a horde of his shade soldiers at the demon, but Natsu didn't even twitch as his fire burned them away on contact.

Disconcerted, he raised his arm and several spirals of darkness appeared around his arm forming a ball that he quickly launched at Natsu in a dead wave. However, that was just as ineffective as Natsu was no longer at the point of impact.

"My turn!" The demon called as he descended on Phantom Lord's master with a flaming fist.

He smashed into the man with the force of a speeding train. Heat crushed into Jose ruthlessly, and Natsu towered over him.

He didn't give Jose the moment to recover, every ounce of his demonic fury he was known for pouring down to crush the human who had hurt his mistress.

One hand reached out, coated in flames as Natsu's clamped over his face. His grip was crushingly tight.

He lifted the man up with one hand, black burning in the white of his eyes. His hair shifted as black horns began to sprout, peeking up through the locks of hair.

"You wanted a demon?" Natsu purred as he peered in closer to him, "You're going to regret touching my mistress again."

"Because the funny thing is, Lucy is the only person in this world that could stop me," A smile broadened his face, "You're the idiot who took her out of the picture."

And though he knew Lucy wouldn't approve of this on an intellectual level he was reasonably sure she would appreciate this on a deeper, more primal, level that wanted revenge so badly.

It was a revenge he was only too happy to give her as his grip tightened on Jose's face, muffling the man's pleas and screams as his flames ignited hotly all around him.

He watched impassively as Jose burned as he'd promised he would, though there was a part of him that took pleasure in permanently ending the pain Lucy and Levy suffered by his hands. It wouldn't take away their nightmares, but it would at least guarantee the source could never torment them again.

Once it was over he dropped the remains uncaringly to the floor and headed straight for the door beside Jose's stupid throne. He picked out Lucy's room by scent alone and melted his way in.

Almost immediately both his demonic features and his flames receded, and a gentler look crossed his face as he headed over to her.

"It's gonna be okay Lucy." He purred softly to her as he snatched up her keys from a table and gently scooped her up into his arms, "I promise. You'll be fine."

He nuzzled her softly, his fury relaxing the moment they were in contact despite how sick she obviously was, and carried her out to where the rest of Fairy Tail was waiting.

* * *

 **You guys wanted your favorite golem to lose his shit? Oho that is what you got!**

 **Special thanks to all our fabulous reviewers! FF had a bit of a glitch, but we were definitely receiving them!**

 ** _KaUiA, Kiarikano , Saints-Fan-12, Guest, Searching, LoneStorm, High Priestess of the Demented, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, 13, silera35, Compucles, lifeisjustchess, sayaofthewillows, Kyrianae Narii, GummyBears, HerMadnessMac, Guest, SilverHeat, MickDunD, misssbehavin, sthokatrina, , Phiafairy, RunningWithTheRiptide, Dark Shining Light, FireDragonPhia, Fairytail-FMA-fan, Twishadowhunter, yucie, AngelsMoonLight, FelinaFireSpirit, Usweasil, Guest, Crimsonlink310, Kuki, BloodRedRubies, The Vampire Queen Lori, Anonymous Reader, CheyennaBanana, kris10oflegend, MehKitty, DancesWithSeatbelts, Aya Rose, akamagerain, Ikityan, Avengerika, taboadayvonne, Cj233, Miku0210, Guest, LadyXYue, Unoyoko94, WolveNeko, xXDarkAngelKittenXx, ckc14, lonewolf, juviateam, okmeamithinknow, CaptainShadoo, Writing bunny, DiagonAlley, thewritersheart, fordkdn, NaLuFTfanatic, arielafina, Anon, LynsieTheBraveShadowHuntress, KuroKitsunechan123, animequeen100, Lodemai04, islamsalma60, Lucie, fanficlove2014, Guest, Sara lovelymusic_**

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _"You can do it if you want Natsu," Lucy said patiently._

 _There was that word again. Want. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to even mean._

 _But maybe... it would be okay? He was also learning a lot about what made his mistress happy thanks to his feelings. And Fairy Tail would always help wherever he stumbled._

 _Catering to his mistress's' desires as opposed to her protection._

 _He could do both, couldn't he?_

 _And Lucy was happy when he was..._

 _Before he realized it, Natsu was showing his right shoulder where the marks of his tattoo split wide enough apart it left room to squeeze in a guild mark._

 _"Red," he said immediately._

 _He didn't know where the color sprang into his head, but it was like a distant memory was bringing it to his mind._


	16. Changeling

Alright guys, there you have it, this is the end of Act 1 of Golem! There are only THREE acts in this fic, unlike in Parallels where we had four! This chapter marks the point where we set up the plot for the rest of the fic! I hope you guys get ready for a fun ride! Also, Kytrin and I have a short fic in the works that I hope you guys can look forward to! It's a fun one to be sure, I think it's going to be less than ten chapters.

Anyway, thanks again for being patient with us as we get you your updates! Hope you all have a great day!

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 16_**

 ** _Changeling_**

 _a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents' real child in infancy._

* * *

Lucy wanted nothing more than to stay asleep forever. Sleep sounded better than okay. At the moment it sounded like the most heavenly thing in the world.

Sunlight, however, had another plan. It decided it wanted Lucy to wake up.

Reluctantly she caved to its demands as wakefulness slowly crept back up to the forefront.

Groaning she forced herself up, but found something caught her before she could go far.

Natsu's blurry face came into focus, as did the arm that connected to him.

"Easy," He soothed, his big hand cupping hers and cradling closer to his face. It was as if he were sniffing out her pulse for himself.

"What ha'ned?" Lucy mumbled as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Where was she? And why was Natsu looking at her like that? He never had before.

"You had the magic sucked out of you by Aria of the sky is what happened." Porlyusica told her sternly, and nudged Natsu aside so she could shove a cup of something at Lucy's lips.

"Honestly, you're lucky to be alive." The old healer grumbled, "If Jellal hadn't collected your magical energy still lingering in the air you would've been sicker for a lot longer. Drink up girl!"

Lucy blinked and hastily downed whatever concoction Porlyusica had shoved at her, and immediately felt better as the fog in her head started to clear in record speed.

The healer nodded approvingly, "Much better. You're free to go, but you're to stay out of any fights for the next couple of days. You understand me?"

Lucy nodded as Natsu helped her get out of bed, and could tell right away why the healer wanted her to relax. She felt pretty good, but she was definitely not at her best. At least this meant she could go home and rest.

"So what happened to Phantom after I was hit?" Lucy asked as they headed back towards the bar above, "Is Levy alright?"

"Levy is fine, Gajeel has been super annoying about it," Natsu responded. His eyes lingered over Lucy and he walked on ahead of her.

There was a stiff line to his shoulders she didn't quite understand. It was like something was bothering him.

But as far as she could tell, there wasn't much that could bother him. Especially not about the fight.

"After I dealt with Jose, I got you and came straight back here to get you help," Natsu said quietly, "It took a while for Jellal to find all your magic."

Lucy's intuition flared at his mumbled response and she realized he was struggling with the idea of her being so close to death.

For a golem whose life was attached to hers, she realized how close she must have been to bring such a reaction to the surface.

"Natsu." She said softly, and reached out to curl her hand around his arm and bring him to a stop, "I'm sorry I scared you so badly." She murmured and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a gentle hug, "I didn't mean to. I didn't even realize they had me in a trap until I was already there."

There was a long moment of hesitation before suddenly Natsu's turned, arms snapped around her and he buried his nose in her hair.

"I felt it when you were hit." He mumbled into her hair, "I just knew you were in danger, and I wasn't by your side where I should be. And then..." His breath hitched a little, "It hurt and all my power came back. I knew you were alive because of the bond, but..."

Lucy hummed softly as she gently rubbed her hands over her distressed demon's back, "I'm sorry Natsu." She breathed into his neck, "I'm here. And I'm alive. You saved me and that's what's important."

She guided him carefully to the steps that lead further into the guild and didn't resist when he pulled her firmly into his lap, "It's alright Natsu." She murmured soothingly, "I'm alright."

Natsu didn't know what was happening, but with every soft word she uttered the pain in his chest loosened a little more. Was that fear? If so, it was a horrible feeling, and he hated it.

"I can't lose you Luce." He mumbled. Just the thought made that sick feeling come back.

"You can't wrap me in cotton either Natsu." Lucy replied gently, though she didn't stop her ministrations, "Like it or not we're going to have more fights ahead of us. Fights you and others will need me for."

She gently tugged his eyes up to meet hers, her heart clenching a bit at the slightly lost look on his face, "You can't keep me from all danger." She continued softly, "Just like I can't keep you or Levy or Gray from all danger."

She combed her fingers through his hair, "But I promise this... no matter what I'll keep fighting with every last breath in my body." She smiled, "And I'll make you the same promise I have to my spirits. I'll watch your back as much as you watch mine. We fight together. As partners. Deal?"

Natsu frowned at Lucy, not liking what she was saying but also knowing he didn't have a real choice.

At best he had the illusion of choice, and that would be to fight alongside Lucy. Ironically, if he had his way, his mistress would be locked in a box for protection. Her choice just as strangled as his own. He didn't like that either.

He wondered if they would ever truly find a balance between them. Because Lucy could say whatever she liked, but Natsu was not an equal like Gray or even her spirits were.

He was an instrument for his mistress. To be used for her protection or defense however she wanted.

Natsu had gotten so caught up in learning and feeling, he had almost forgotten all that. He glanced down at his hand.

There was no way he could ever be like the others. At first he had enjoyed the experiences of feeling and learning and laughing...

But now that he had been introduced to the emotion of fear, Natsu wasn't sure he wanted to uncover anything else. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how to go back to sleep. Jose's sneering face flashed back into his mind, a stark reminder of how he had reacted. Without thought or impulse, he had ended his life in a second. Fear was powerful.

"Jellal and Erza have some of the members of Phantom, they've been questioning them to find out how they knew about us," Natsu answered evasively.

Lucy noticed the evasion, but let it go for the moment. Natsu was new to feelings of any kind, so it would probably take him a while to come to terms with what he was experiencing now. He hadn't had the luxury of growing into them as a kid after all.

"Did they find out anything?" She asked instead.

Natsu shrugged, "I don't know. I was with you most of the time, and no one's told me anything yet."

Lucy nodded and smiled as she crawled out of his lap, "Well then, why don't we go find out?" She said as she extended her hand to him, "We can get something to eat while we're at it. I'm starving and you probably are too."

Natsu blinked as he slid his hand into hers and let her pull him to his feet. She wasn't going to say anything about his evasion?

He knew she'd noticed. Lucy noticed almost everything, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was paying sharp attention to him. So why was she letting it go?

He didn't understand, but he would accept it with both hands.

"Yeah." He managed with a ghost of a grin.

Lucy's smile widened as she tugged him up the rest of the stairs and into the bar. There was a loud, happy, greeting as she appeared with Natsu, and she quickly found herself on the receiving end of several female hugs.

"I'm so glad to see you're up and about Lucy." Juvia said with a relieved smile, "We've all been very worried."

"Thanks Juvia." Lucy replied, "I'm sorry I worried everyone. I understand I have Jellal to thank for my quick recovery?"

"It was nothing." The blue haired man demurred, but Lucy shook her head.

"No, it was quite a bit." She replied, "Thank you."

She looked around at the guild that had saved her life three times now, and made a decision she never dreamed she would make.

She took a breath and walked over to where the aged Master Makarov was sitting on the counter watching the whole thing with shrewd eyes, "Master Makarov," She said respectfully, "I owe Fairy Tail a debt I won't soon be able to repay. I know I didn't get off to the best start here, but you've all shown me what a guild _should_ be. And, with your permission, I'd like to ask if I could join you. Officially."

Natsu blinked in surprise that was reflected by everyone present. He edged closer to Lucy and frowned at her.

"Are you feeling okay Lucy? You're acting weirder than normal, we should see the cranky medicine lady again," He clapped a burning hand against her forehead.

Lucy sighed and waved his hand away, giving him a glare for his efforts.

Considering Natsu's own body temperature, his scale for a fever was probably measured on a huge curve.

"I'm fine," She mumbled, a little embarrassed by all the attention she was receiving.

Makarov gulped back a swing of his ale, breathing out a refreshed sigh.

"Dunno! It's fine by me missy, but I'm retired! Erza's the Master, ask her," Makarov chuckled in response to Lucy's baffled look.

"I'm just an old fogey that doesn't know any better," Makarov cackled, "I've left all the decision making to you youngins."

"The Master has been retired for only a few months and he's been taking enjoying his new status," Erza sighed as she came up behind Lucy, "He's been taking shameless advantage of our bar."

"You brats are the ones who have driven me to drink," Makarov huffed and got his mug topped off.

"Come Lucy, let's get you marked," Erza guided her to the side, "Natsu, would you like to join as well? You two would be our first Knight and demon in our ranks!"

Lucy's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she let Erza guide her over to Mira, "Sorry." She apologized, "I thought..."

Erza just smiled and shook her head, "It's perfectly understandable." She replied, "You haven't been exposed to us enough to know, and we kept it very quiet for obvious reasons. The council didn't need to know about the shift in power, despite Makarov still carrying weight as an advisor."

She dropped a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "The important part was that you meant what you said. And I, for one, am honored to have you become a member."

Lucy smiled back, her embarrassment receding as Mira held up the infamous stamp, "So where would you like your mark?" She chirped.

Lucy thought about it and held out the back of her hand, "There." She replied firmly, "I want to be able to see it always and remember why I joined."

Mira nodded and pressed the stamp into the back of her hand, "What color do you want it to be?" She asked as the magic tingled into Lucy's skin.

Lucy thought about it for a moment and smiled softly, "Pink." She murmured, "It was my mother's favorite color. I think she would really like Fairy Tail."

There was a brief surge of magic and Lucy stared at the mark in mingled awe and excitement. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to make such a complete break from her previous life, and she was pretty sure she would never properly be able to express just how much this meant to her.

Instead, she looked up at Natsu and grinned broadly, "How about it Natsu?" She asked, holding up her mark, "Do you want to join too?"

This was one thing she would not, ever, order him to do.

Natsu blinked at the mark standing out so striking against her skin. Was he allowed?

He had seen how fiercely Fairy Tail protected one another. It made him happy that Lucy would be a part of something so strong in case he failed again.

And in part, he believed maybe that was what was bothering him the most. That the one thing he was supposed to excel at above all things, he had stumbled at.

When he was lifeless, he had been so much better at it... accessing the depths of his magic was a snap and so was tearing apart anyone who looked at her the wrong way.

Was this a distraction he could be allowed?

He looked longingly at the stamp, a small whine bubbling from the back of his throat.

"You can do it if you want Natsu," Lucy said patiently.

There was that word again. Want. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to even mean.

But maybe... it would be okay? He was also learning a lot about what made his mistress happy thanks to his feelings. And Fairy Tail would always help wherever he stumbled.

Catering to his mistress' desires as opposed to her protection.

He could do both, couldn't he?

And Lucy was happy when he was...

Before he realized it, Natsu was showing his right shoulder where the marks of his tattoo split wide enough apart it left room to squeeze in a guild mark.

"Red," he said immediately.

He didn't know where the color sprang into his head, but it was like a distant memory was bringing it to his mind.

The color he had in mind was unique, a dark crimson that glowed with brilliant flames. Natsu wasn't even sure he had ever seen such a color before.

Lucy smiled broadly at Natsu, "It looks good!" She complimented, pleased that he'd decided to join, and gently pressed her fingers on his shoulder just outside of his mark, "Does the red mean something in particular?"

Natsu blinked and then grinned at her, "I dunno!" He told her cheerfully, "It just felt right!" He cocked his head curiously, "Wasn't that how I was supposed to do it?"

"Oh definitely!" Lucy hastily agreed, "I was just wondering if it had special meaning."

Natsu's eyes flicked down to where she was gently rubbing at her own mark, and he shrugged, "Not like that." He replied quietly, "But it's a good color anyway right?"

"It's a fine color. They both are." Erza told them proudly, gently squeezing their shoulders, "And we're proud to have you both join our family."

The rest of Fairy Tail bellowed out a roar of agreement, and in moments a loud party had erupted in celebration. Lucy grinned at Natsu, feeling the same exhilaration she'd felt when she'd first joined the Knights. But this time it seemed that much more real. There was no great ceremony, no speeches, just her doing what felt like the right thing.

A smile spread over his face in reflection of hers and Natsu reached out to grasp at her hands enthusiastically. He swung them in his grip and dragged her back with him to the center of the guild.

There he hoisted Lucy up onto Gray's shoulders and cheered wildly as Elfman plucked her up and rejoiced in his own loud way.

Erza ventured over to the bar where Makarov was still seated, Jellal waiting there. His expression looked torn, worry flashing over his face.

Erza watched as Natsu ended up getting swallowed in the hoard of bodies while Lucy was trapped crowd surfing on the shoulders of her guildmates.

"What did you find out from our guests in Phantom," Makarov asked quietly, his expression neutral even as he hid his face behind his mug.

"Aside from information about Jose's taking Lucy before?" Jellal asked. He huffed out through his nose, "It's bad. Worse than we could have thought."

"Phantom Lord was employed by the demons of Tartaros to take END and kill Lucy," Jellal kept his voice low, "They were not after his power on their own."

"Then it's true. The demon's have finally stretched their reach within Magnolias walls," Makarov sighed.

"And who knows how many other towns. The council's power is strongest here in Magnolia because it's the capital, but their influence is everywhere too," Erza looked deeply worried.

"Which means it's not safe for our newest recruits in town." Makarov growled softly, "Especially for Lucy. Even if her life wasn't in danger, I dread to think what other nightmares the demons might throw at her to get their hands on Natsu."

"Yes." Jellal agreed quietly, "We got lucky this time." His expression hardened, though he kept his eyes fastened firmly on Makarov, "We were able to prove to her that not all guilds are evil, but for all that she's grateful to us she doesn't really know us yet outside of Gray, Juvia, and Levy."

"You're thinking of your own experience and how easy it might be to turn her before her convictions have firmly re-settled?" Makarov asked shrewdly, "Yes, I agree that could be a problem. She's young, and she means well. That's a good place to start, but Magnolia is getting too hot for her to actually do anything here."

"What are you suggesting master?" Erza asked curiously, "A job outside the city?"

There were certainly no shortage of such jobs.

"Not just a job." Makarov contradicted, "That won't be enough to deal with the underlying problem she and Natsu face if the demons are involved."

"A long term mission then." Jellal said, drawing their looks, "With a team."

"What kind of mission could we possibly give them?" Erza asked, "I agree that getting them out of Magnolia for a while might be best, but there's little they can do about the war or the demons leading it even if Natsu _is_ END."

"I believe Natsu being END is enough to gain us allies," Jellal frowned, bracing his weight against the bar top.

Erza didn't catch on immediately to what Jellal was hinting at, but Makarov certainly could.

"Careful Jellal, a mission like that could easily result in their deaths," Makarov said with quiet consideration. He placed the mug to the side, his eyes flitting over to the group celebrating.

"The dragons have reclused themselves from this war for centuries," Jellal responded without backing down, "They may hate humans, but I believe they won't attack Natsu!"

"Dragons. You wish to ally with the dragons? Why do you think they'll spare him?" Erza spoke up, finally catching onto the thread with a soft spoken curse. She gripped the edge of the counter hard, "Because of Gajeel's claim?"

Jellal hesitated and his shoulders stiffened, "With or without END, we can't win against the demons. We've lost too much ground."

"Putting our desperate need for allies aside, where do you suggest they go?" Jellal asked her. There was an urgency to his voice that had both masters looking at him.

"The moment they step out these walls they are a target for the demons," He lifted a hand to gesture around him, "And the moment we send them to another city the council will close in on them."

"As much as we hate them, the council's strong presence here has prevented the demon's advancement on Magnolia," Makarov admitted.

"Who is to say they would be safer in an outlying town as opposed to a nest of dragons?"

"Depends on the nest you pick." Gajeel rumbled beside them, causing the three to jerk a little in surprise.

"Somethin' like that... you'd have to aim for the top." He gulped down a long swing of ale before turning to pin them with an intense stare, "I'm talking about old Igneel."

"The dragon king?" Erza breathed incredulously, "Why him? Wasn't he the one that declared dragons wouldn't help either side of this war? Why not your old nest?"

Gajeel scowled a little, "Because Metallicana might be willing to stick his neck out for a human hatchlin' lost in the mountains, but he ain't gonna go against Igneel's orders just because we ask nice. And asking nice is about all you've got to offer a dragon."

He shook his head, "No, you wanna try and win the dragons over you can't mess around with a lesser drake. You gotta go straight to the top. Igneel and his queen."

"And how likely is Igneel to listen to our case?" Jellal asked carefully. Gajeel didn't often talk about dragon dynamics, he tended to claim it didn't matter, so he was going to take the chance to get as much information as he could.

Gajeel shrugged, "No tellin'." He admitted, "Humans pissed Igneel off really badly back when the war started, and dragons can hold a grudge for a lot longer than just four hundred years. That said, he's been the dominant drake since the end of the dragon civil war an' he's got a reputation for bein' fair. All things considered I'd say whoever shows up might get chased off, but he's not too likely to kill them out of hand."

"It seems like going to the King himself is the safest option," Makarov spoke up in the silence left after Gajeel's somewhat terse explanation.

"Where can we find him?" Jellal asked Gajeel, the broad man gripping the handle of his mug with more force than was needed.

"Can't say," he grunted, red eyes flicking towards Jellal. The man's eyes narrowed over the mystery, but Gajeel's lips twisted into a devilish smirk.

"I'd have to show the way," Gajeel gave Jellal and Erza a smug look, "They ain't goin' anywhere near dragon country without an escort."

Erza sighed as Gajeel kept his closely guarded secrets to his chest. The man didn't say much except for growls and insults, so she knew when he spoke up like this it was best to listen.

Still, she was glad they had a guide. Because even if they made it to the dragon's territory, they would no doubt be killed or turned away.

It made her question why Igneel would even give them the chance.

"Gajeel," She spoke up, attracting his attention.

She waited for him to grunt in acknowledgment, which was Gajeel-speak for 'go ahead.'

"What did the humans do to anger the King so badly?" Erza asked him, her voice quiet.

Her attention was sharp on the suddenly rigid back of Gajeel. A muscle in his jaw twitched but he took exceeding care not to look at her.

His gaze was straight ahead, fixated on a crack on the wall above the bar.

Then, in a voice that was much too casual, Gajeel shrugged and stood up.

"Who knows?"

The man walked off without excusing himself, no doubt to find Lucy and Natsu to tell them about their plan.

Erza felt a chill work it's way down her spine as Jellal brought life to the thought she didn't voice.

"It must have been terrible."

 _ **END ACT 1**_

* * *

 _What's that? Plot? In this fic? Seriously? We're not just gonna have Natsu screw around for thirty chapters? Indeed not!_

 _SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! You guys are seriously the best! You make producing this story an absolute pleasure! I'm also a little surprised by how happy you guys were that Natsu FRIED JOSE'S FACE OFF. Ya'll are something else._

 **Searching, lifeisjustchess, Guest, notjustanyfangrl, caslspirit15, kuki, Writing bunny, taboadayvonne, FlameDragonHime, The Vampire Queen Lori, animequeen100, MehKitty, sthokatrina, Fairytail-FMA-fan, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Liss4D, Guest, pu3Aisyah, akamagerain, Kinsutenekochan, DancesWithSeatbelts, CodenameMise, MickDunD, Phiafairy, Crimsonlink310, SilverHeat, WolveNeko, Aya Rose, Saints-Fan-12, seulil, BloodRedRubies, yucie, kyrianae Narii, Kiarikano, FelinaFireSpirit, RunningWithTheRiptide, Twishadowhunter, Animeweaboo, XEarthXDragonX, juviateam, GummyBears, o0vicarious-living0o, 13, FireShifter, Unoyoko94, lalalokka, Guest, AlexHide, KuroKitsunechan123, fanficlove2014, Lucie, BeautifulSkye213, sarara1.8, NaLuFTfanatic, Dark Shining Light**

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS GETS YOU A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _Lucy groaned softly as she felt consciousness slowly returning to her. She was snuggled up against something firm and comfortably warm, and she didn't really want to wake up, but her stomach was wrapped around her spine and wouldn't let her stay asleep._

 _She blearily blinked as she lifted her head and opened her eyes only to widen them when she realized she was snuggled up quite intimately with a snoring Natsu._

 _It wasn't really an odd thing by itself. Natsu had curled up with her back before he'd awoken, and had only done so even more now that he was awake. However, she wasn't used to being pressed against him like they were in a post coital nap._

 _As soon as the thought crossed her mind she instantly blushed brightly, and suddenly became acutely aware of a hundred little things. Like the feel of his muscles pressing against her chest, or the way he had one leg slipped carelessly between her thighs._

 _No! This was bad! She and Natsu were barely friends, and he was bound to her! She should not be thinking of stuff like this around him!_


	17. Pegasus

_Alright everyone! Another chapter to Golem awaits you! I hope you guys are pleased with this one! And if you've missed it, Kytrin and I have another fic going on which is totally finished. It's a short one and it posts the day after Golem, so you can expect it tomorrow! That one is called Sandcastles!_

 _Anyway, I won't hold you guys up from your chapter! You all had such interesting theories, and I think you'll like what is coming next!_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 17**_

 _ **Pegasus**_

 _From his birth to his death, Pegasus remained a mysterious creature capable of everything, symbolizing the divine inspiration or the journey to heaven, since riding him was synonymous to "flying" to the heavens._

* * *

Lucy groaned softly as she felt consciousness slowly returning to her. She was snuggled up against something firm and comfortably warm, and she didn't really want to wake up, but her stomach was wrapped around her spine and wouldn't let her stay asleep.

She blearily blinked as she lifted her head and opened her eyes only to widen them when she realized she was snuggled up quite intimately with a snoring Natsu.

It wasn't really an odd thing by itself. Natsu had curled up with her back before he'd awoken, and had only done so even more now that he was awake. However, she wasn't used to being pressed against him like they were in a post coital nap.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind she instantly blushed brightly, and suddenly became acutely aware of a hundred little things. Like the feel of his muscles pressing against her chest, or the way he had one leg slipped carelessly between her thighs.

No! This was bad! She and Natsu were barely friends, and he was _bound_ to her! She should not be thinking of stuff like this around him!

Her blush deepened as she tried to figure out a way to escape only to sigh softly in relief when he flopped onto his back with a snort and let go of her as he started snoring.

It gave her enough room to wriggle away without waking him and dash off to the bathroom to start getting ready. They had a lot to do if they were going to get out of Magnolia to get started on the mission Gajeel had told them about.

Though she kind of wondered when and how they'd wound up back at their safe house. The last thing _she_ remembered was drunkenly talking about books with Levy at the bar.

As she closed the door she never noticed one of Natsu's eyes pop open to watch her go.

Natsu grumbled sleepily as he pushed himself up in the bed that was suddenly too empty for him to feel comfortable in.

Propping his weight up on his elbows, Natsu curved his spine and let out a soft groan. There wasn't any point in staying in bed if Lucy was off doing other things.

He had been awake for a while, bonelessly draped over Lucy. Simply enjoying the scent of her hair pressing into his nose soothed something inside him. They fit together so comfortably, Natsu hadn't been able to bring himself to move.

His knee had made itself a home between her curvy thighs, her leg spilling over his as he held a warm waist.

It had been nice. Natsu pouted at the memory of Lucy slowly stirring and suddenly stiffening in his hold. It was like she had turned into a statue for some reason.

That wasn't any fun, so Natsu rolled off and let her scamper away. He hid a smirk as he climbed out of the bed, let Lucy think she was stealthy.

It reminded him of the previous night, where Lucy had gotten _so_ unbelievably wrecked by the amount of alcohol she consumed. His mistress had staggered about with a bottle in one hand and a madly giggling Levy in the other.

After Cana - of all people - cut the party short stating that lightweights needed to go to bed early, Natsu guided an oddly affectionate Lucy home.

She wasn't much of a nuzzler normally, but drunken Lucy had been unable to keep her hands to herself.

He'd had half a mind to let Lucy stumble around the apartment drunkenly for another half an hour of entertainment, but decided to have mercy on his mistress and put her to bed.

But only, apparently, if he accompanied her.

He sighed and flopped back on the bed for a moment. He didn't want to go back to sleep now that he was awake and Lucy was gone, though part of him was still feeling lazy, so he sat up fully and hopped out of bed. He might as well make Lucy some coffee. She would probably really want some once she was done with that shower.

At least she hadn't appeared to have a hangover when she'd woken up earlier. He guessed Cana's advice about making her eat and drink water, however difficult that had been with her giggling and in his lap, had worked.

He went through the motions that were steadily becoming more familiar, pleased that at least Lucy would have her coffee waiting on her when she emerged. He knew she didn't really understand, but no matter what else he _liked_ making her happy.

Sure, part of it was the bond, but he suspected part of it was Lucy herself. He would want to make her happy even if he wasn't bonded to her.

He shook his head, not really interested in thinking about the complexities of their bonds so early, and settled back to watch the coffee pot percolate. It never failed to fascinate him.

It, unfortunately, didn't take too long to do, but he didn't mind since about the time it was done he heard the water shut off in the bathroom, which meant Lucy was done too. And by the time she shuffled into the kitchen he was waiting with a broad grin and a cup at her place.

"Morning Lucy!" He greeted cheerfully, something in him just happy to see her again.

"Natsu?" Lucy blinked a little, and looked at the coffee in surprise, "Did I wake you earlier?"

Natsu shrugged, "I heard the water running."

The perfect truth. Just not the whole truth, but his conscience didn't even ping at it. This wasn't something that would harm Lucy in any way, and her smile as she sat down and took a sip made it worth it.

He was glad she seemed like she was in a good mood. Considering how heavy she drank the previous night, Natsu had halfway expected hissing or angry grunts to his morning smiles.

Lucy was the very definition of a night owl to his morning bird personality.

Hell, she sometimes hissed at him when she _wasn't_ hungover. This was positively amazing. Natsu had to remember to take notes next time Cana gave him advice.

His stomach felt all warm as he watched her sink into her mug. Pride spread through his chest and expanded through his lungs.

"Do you want some?" Lucy asked in a hushed voice. The morning air was still very muted around them.

Natsu shook his head. He didn't need the caffeine. Whenever he woke up in the morning, he was always alert.

Lucy claimed he never slept. Which was untrue. Natsu slept perhaps two or three hours a night. He didn't know what was wrong with him precisely. It could have been a demon thing for all he knew.

But he didn't dream.

And whenever he woke up whenever he slept away from his mistress, his body would feel stiff and rigid.

It was hard to describe, but he always awoke feeling wired and a little uneasy.

Caffeine was the last thing he needed.

Lucy sighed happily as the caffeine hit her system, and closed her eyes in bliss. After a few moments it eventually dawned on her that she should have a pounding head and be snarling more than was usual first thing in the morning. Instead, she felt pretty good, if a little slow on the uptake.

Had Natsu done something after everything had gone fuzzy?

She mentally shrugged and decided it wasn't worth investigating at the moment. She was just happy that whatever it was had worked.

After she drained the cup she gave him a small smile, "Anything in particular you want for breakfast?" She asked.

This had become practically a ritual first thing in the morning. Natsu would eat just about anything, a fact they both knew, but she kept asking him in the hopes that one day when he expressed a preference it would be an _actual_ preference.

She could always tell when he was randomly picking something.

To her immense surprise though, when he scrunched up his face at the question he appeared to be genuinely thinking about it.

"Could we.." He hesitated, "Could we have something with bacon?"

Okay, not quite the demand for a preference she'd been hoping for, but it was better than nothing, and a massive step up from his previous responses.

Her smile widened as she got up, knowing better by now than to trust Natsu to cook _anything_ that didn't require char broiling. Except drinks.

"I think we can swing that." She told him and began rummaging around in the fridge.

Natsu's expression lit up in degrees as he sprang to his feet to help. He was always eager to nose around to try and help her even if he added to the difficulty curve.

Lucy guided him through the motions, showing him the proper height the flame should be at on the stove. They would have to hurry since they would be meeting Gajeel soon.

They had quite the trip laid out before them, and Lucy would be lying if she denied being nervous over her first, and extremely important job.

She was no fool either. They were deliberately being moved because they were being targeted by more than one group of people. Erza had told her as much when they were approached with the job.

Lucy appreciated her candidness. It was the smart play at this stage if everything was escalating as it seemed.

After the quick breakfast, made faster by Natsu practically inhaling his food, they got up to finish packing.

Natsu over packed for her, so half of what he decided was absolutely critical for her, she had to take out and put in his bag.

He had packed a single toothbrush for himself, almost as an afterthought.

"Natsu you're going to need more than a toothbrush on this trip." Lucy sighed in exasperation, "We went to all that trouble of getting you magical clothes. You should at least bring a few spares. And a hair brush."

She poked at the excess from her packing in amusement, "I'm pretty sure I can get by without needing ten changes of clothes. I can take five and you can have space for some of your own."

"But Lucy!" Natsu protested, slightly horrified at the thought of her going without anything, "What if you need this stuff?"

Lucy shook her head, "Natsu, I appreciate it, but I'm a big girl." She smiled, "I've lived with less before. I'll be fine." She nudged him towards the dresser, "Now, grab the stuff you need. We need to hurry."

Natsu huffed and reluctantly moved over to the dresser to do as she'd asked. It wasn't technically an order, he could tell, but he also knew she wouldn't let go of it if he didn't obey her. Lucy was weird like that.

Lucy was careful not to let her triumph show as they quickly got re-packed and headed out. As much as she sometimes enjoyed needling Natsu now wasn't the time.

Fortunately, it turned out they weren't the only ones running slightly behind as they got there at the same time Levy did.

"You're coming too Levy?" Lucy asked in surprise, more concerned that Levy was well enough to travel after the debacle with Phantom.

Levy blushed a bit, but nodded, "Yeah. Porlyusica gave me some medicine, but things are just as hot for me as you guys right now. Erza thinks some time away would do me good." She grinned a little, "Besides, I can magically create any element. That's bound to come in handy with an iron eater and a fire eater."

"There's no denying that!" Lucy agreed, feeling somewhat relieved they wouldn't have to scavenge for supplies like that. She was a little confused over the kind of magic Gajeel used, but apparently it was a kind which made him uniquely qualified to serve as their guide.

She settled as Natsu huffed out a breath beside her, his lips spreading out into a wide grin. "Thanks Levy!"

"Of course!" The small woman smiled at him happily. It seemed his eager response to her joining them has made her excited.

"Just try not to strain yourself Lev, the last thing we need is for you to hurt yourself and we gotta make a detour," Gajeel grumbled. Levy's cheeks warmed at his comment, a happy rush flooding her cheeks.

The fact that Gajeel cared was so painful, it was almost hilarious.

And at the knowing look Lucy kept giving him, Gajeel's face burned red and he jolted upright.

"What the hell are ya lookin' at? Let's roll out!"

But before they could get so much as a couple of steps, a couple of figures blocking their path stood before them.

"Not so fast," the figures came into focus, a handful of Fairy Tail members blocking the way out of the city.

"You didn't really expect to leave without saying goodbye first?" Gray demanded of Lucy with a grin.

Cana waved a card between her fingers and swayed over to Lucy, "And I had to check to see if my favorite light weight lush was doing okay to travel!"

She reached forward and tucked the card into Lucy's cleavage, "for Luck " She winked.

Lucy flushed brightly at that, "Uhm, do I want to know why I'm suddenly your favorite?" She asked nervously, unwilling to retrieve the card in front of everyone, and a little afraid of what it was.

She and Cana had mostly moved past the episode from the council building, mainly because Lucy had finally been told just why they'd suddenly attacked like that, but she hadn't really thought of Cana as a friend.

Not that she'd had a chance to think of most of the folks there as friends yet...

"Not even a little!" Cana replied cheerfully, "But it was the best entertainment I've seen in years! Getting you and Levy drunk was fun!"

Lucy and Levy glanced at each other nervously, both trying to remember just what could've entertained Cana so much.

"Uh... that's great Cana." Levy replied nervously, "I think."

"Aw! You are so cute!" Cana exclaimed, prompting Gray to sigh and shake his head as he stepped forward.

"You hang in there alright?" He told Lucy, his concern obvious, "And stay safe. I'm not interested in losing any more family."

Lucy smiled at him, touched by his concern, and nodded, "You got it."

"Juvia will miss Lucy!" Juvia sobbed as she flung herself around Lucy's neck in the hug Gray wouldn't give her before moving on to Levy, "And Levy!"

Lucy was starting to wonder if this was normal for Fairy Tail when folks went out on long term jobs. If so, it was both touching beyond belief, and a little terrifying.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Gajeel grunted, but promptly found himself with an armful of Juvia hugging him hard enough Lucy thought his head would pop off.

"Alright, that's enough," Erza clapped for attention and smiled at Lucy, "Levy already knows to stay safe with Gajeel. I hope you do the same and come to us soon."

"You keep yourself and Natsu safe, you're both part of our family now," Erza embraced Lucy.

It would have been a very sweet gesture had it not nearly bludgeoned Lucy in the process.

"I think we should be ready then," Lucy spoke up after all the rounds were finished being made. Natsu looked like he was starting to get antsy just waiting around.

"May the first master, Mavis, watch over you," Erza wished them well as they began to sneak from the city.

It was curious though, because at Erza's last words, Lucy thought she saw a shadow cross Natsu's face for a second.

It was gone a moment later though, and Lucy had to wonder if she'd seen it at all.

She didn't have a chance to ask though because Gajeel took that as the final farewell and started leading them out. Being wanted they, of course, could not go out one of the official gates available but like everything else, Fairy Tail had found a way around the system.

It was ironic to her in the extreme that what would've made her angry six months ago she now found relief in. It was truly amazing how quickly one's life could change.

"So how long do you think it will take us to find the dragons?" She asked once they were outside the city and had been on the road for about an hour.

"Hard to say." Gajeel shrugged lazily, apparently not wanting to disturb the surprisingly pleasant morning more than he had to, "You an' Levy ain't dragonslayers, or demons. Which means you ain't as tough, an' we'll probably make slower time."

He eyed them, "I'd guess maybe a month or so if we travel on foot. If we're lucky."

Lucy's eyes widened, "A _month_? Seriously?"

Gajeel shrugged, "You're lucky it's that close blondie." He snorted, "Dragons ain't fond of most humans. Igneel especially."

Lucy groaned, "What if we got some transportation?" She asked hopefully, "That would help right?"

Gajeel stiffened at the question, a distinctly green color coming to his cheeks, and Lucy looked at Levy in confusion, "What did I say?"

"Gajeel doesn't _do_ transportation," Levy snorted in amusement as she ignored the poisonous glare he sent her way.

"It's his one true weakness, any kind of moving surface he stands on that's not animal in nature, he becomes a ball of jelly," She giggled.

Gajeel made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, muttering about how dragons didn't have a need for such a thing.

And by extension, neither did dragonslayers.

"Unfortunately even if we could get transportation at this point, we shouldn't take it. A magic mobile couldn't make the trip over the rough terrain against the monsters while the council will be watching the roads."

Lucy sagged at the explanation, but Natsu seemed to brighten over the news.

He couldn't quite explain it himself, but for some reason he really was not too broken up about the car not working out.

He wasn't a huge fan of the strange contraption after the one or two vague times he remembered climbing into one. He thought it upset his stomach...

Seeing as how Gajeel was busy grumbling over the teasing, Natsu held his tongue though.

Besides, a month on the road with Lucy couldn't possibly be bad.

* * *

 _Alright guys, admittedly a bit of a slow chapter, but don't worry! Things are kicking into high gear since this is a start of a new adventure! I hope you all stick with us! It's going to be fun and I'm SUPER EXCITED ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT._

 _You guys are seriously awesome though, thanks for being so nice and letting us know what you think. It really is more fun to write an adventure when you've got company to join you!_

 _ **SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!**_

 _ **sthokatrina, MickDunD, kris10ooflegend, Elizabeth Backell, Saints-Fan-12, Animeweaboo, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Kiarikano, Unoyoko94, , Crimsonlink310, Yuyui Hime, SilverHeat, Snavej, akamagerain, Ssjshadic, DancesWithSeatbelts, Jinx, juviateam, fordkdn, RunningWithTheRiptide, FlameDragonHime, Searching, MehKitty, NaluhasNashi, Phiafairy, Anniethorbo, Kyrianae Narii, animequeen100, NaLuFTfanatic, lifeisjustchess, Twishadowhunter, Rosii, The Vampire Queen Lori, WolveNeko, D, Fairytail-FMA-Fan, Kuki, BloodRedRubies, CelestialFairy27, yucie, Aya Rose, Gir276, NightLocker, GummyBears, KuroKtsunechan123, tabaodayvonne, Guest, Shidake, yeahbuddy2256, FireShifter, Guest, Sara lovelymusic, Taco0Eat1ngUniCrn, Lucie, Guest, Kaiko Senpai, Guest, thewritersheart, Avengerika, WolveNeko, ACL-Secret-Obsessions**_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _"Lucy…" He hesitated for a moment and frowned, "Lucy, what have we, I, done to them to make it this bad?"_

 _Lucy grimaced, "That's a broad question Natsu." She replied, "This is a war that's gone on for four hundred years. A lot of atrocities have been committed over the centuries, and every one leaves a bad taste in the mouth."_

 _She shook her head, "My dad was killed when a demon named Deliora attacked the town he was visiting. He leveled the entire town in one night. Over twenty thousand people dead, and only a few survivors."_

 _Natsu's throat felt like sandpaper at the news, "And that was one attack?" He managed._

 _Lucy nodded, "Deliora is one of the few powerful demons around, and attacks from them are rarer. No one knows why exactly, but some think it's because they're devoting their energy to searching for their creator, Zeref. Which is just as well considering what they're capable of."_

 _Natsu swallowed thickly and sat down across from her, "Please Lucy." He pleaded, "Tell me everything. I **need** to know." _


	18. Sphinx

**_NEWS!_**

 _Mslead is going to be out of town for a week! As such, that means Kytrin will be updating in her place! She hasn't been feeling well at all for the past week and is only now starting to feel a little better :(. So that means for the next couple of updates you may not have much in the way of author's notes/review call outs just to make it a little easier on her. (she'll be updating golem and sandcastles here AND on tumblr, so I'm trying to make this as easy as possible for her.)_

 _You'll still be getting your sneak peeks if you hit that magic mark, but we'll be making it as easy as possible for her!_

 _PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be patient if the updates are slow or late! Kytrin will be juggling this by herself!_

 _Be good while I'm gone guys ;)_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **-ACT 2-**

 _ **CHAPTER 18**_

 _ **Sphinx**_

 _The sphinx has had a long history of secrecy and intrigue, being viewed by many cultures as guardians of knowledge and as speaking in riddles._

* * *

Lucy carefully kept her grimace to herself as they crossed the gate and headed into town. This was one of the further outlying villages she knew about. The Rune Knights here numbered at a dozen at best, and most were local and at best of average magic power. Under any other circumstances that would've been fine since moderately powerful wizards could deal with most of the common problems a village like this might have.

Unfortunately, with the war going on the strain and stress were telling.

These people were the victims of regular raids, probably both of the bandit as well as the demonic variety, and it showed once you got close enough to look.

The wall was the sturdiest, and newest, looking thing, and even the better houses and town hall were looking a bit rough around the edges.

It made her feel bad to see. These people deserved none of the suffering that had been heaped on them for who knew how long, but unless they could end the war there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

"You okay Lucy?" Natsu asked, noticing her small frown. Though he could guess what she was frowning about. It was clear to him what kind of attacks had caused this, and it made him want to go hunt the bastards down immediately.

But even if they knew where they were, which they didn't, he knew Lucy probably wouldn't let him. Though the look on her face was making him wonder a little about that.

"I'm fine." She replied automatically as they headed for the inn, "I'm just thinking."

"Does it hurt or something?" Natsu asked curiously, a sly smile twitching to the forefront when Lucy gave him an annoyed look.

"No Natsu, it doesn't hurt," She grumbled before tightening the arms crossed over her chest even more snugly than before.

She had been so excited when they first saw the town in the village. Gajeel had been grim and silent, but allowed them to race on ahead as he dragged up the rear.

"I never came across this town in my travels with the Knights, but I have seen this before," Lucy sighed, "This one is much closer to the capital, so I guess I was hoping it would have a little more strength to it."

"The protection the council offers Magnolia, at the very least that is real." Lucy's shoulders deflated.

Even if everything else was fake, Lucy knew the further the towns were from Magnolia, the worse shape they would be in. The capital provided security and protection, even if it came at the cost of certain liberties.

It was disheartening to see a town so close still in such a bad shape. Although Lucy supposed the demons and monsters had been trying to break through Magnolias protective walls for a great while.

They walked through the town, where they passed through dirty faced children just as skinny and underfed as the ones they saw in the slums of Magnolia.

"Maybe." Gajeel grunted, his eyes tracking the starving kids, "But the price is too high. There's reasons bandits are on the rise out here. The Knights here ain't enough, an' the council don't see fit to send more."

"It's one of the reasons many guilds have left Magnolia and the other major cities." Levy murmured, "They provide the support and reinforcement needed out here."

Lucy blinked a little, not having been aware of that, "They do?"

Gajeel nodded, "It's easier livin' out here for a guild. The locals don't care if you're a guild or a Knight as long as the job's done, an' the Knights out here can't afford to care." He glanced at her, "Fairy Tail thought about leavin' a time or two back when Master Makarov was still in charge, but we felt we did more good in the city than out of it."

Levy smiled a bit sadly, "Yeah we do." She grinned sheepishly, "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish we had more freedom so we could come and go."

Lucy smiled at her friend, "You just want to poke around more old ruins." She teased and shook her head, "I understand a lot better now what you mean. I say we make that a goal for when the war is over with."

She shrugged at their inquisitive looks, "Nothing significant will change until the one thing that allows the council to have control over everything is gone." She explained, "That's just politics. In a sick way the war almost benefits them as much as the demons, and they won't be eager to give up their power even a little."

"So we gotta take away the reason for them to have the power." Gajeel smirked, "I like it."

"I doubt it will be that easy." Lucy cautioned as they approached one of the better looking buildings that passed for an inn, "But it's a good place to start."

"Right..." Levy frowned and looked at where the unusually silent Natsu was standing, only to be greeted by an empty space.

"But in the meantime, we should probably find Natsu, shouldn't we?" She asked him, head tilting in curiosity.

Lucy let out a startled gasp and whipped around to locate her wayward demon. Natsu hadn't yet grown accustomed to how things ran on the outside of the walls. For people living out on the border, it was much easier for them to spot a demon from a human.

Sure enough, there was an alarmed scream that came from just around the corner they had passed. All three of them shared a look and raced back the way they came.

Natsu was standing there, looking alarmed and with his hands up in the air. A woman was clutching her little girl to her skirts, trembling in white faced fear. "Y-you stay away fro-from my little girl!"

"I didn't do anything to your girl," Natsu replied a touch snappily to the woman, "I just picked up her doll when she dropped it and handed it to her!"

"I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding." Lucy said as she walked up and laid a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Hopefully to keep him from doing something stupid.

"See?" She smiled, not liking the terrified look on the woman's face, or the crowd that was gathering, "No harm done. We'll just go. Sorry about the confusion."

She tried to tug a confused but still irritated looking Natsu back, but that proved to be one step too many as the woman backed away from them in horror, "Demon!" She screamed, "He's a demon! And you're consorting with him!"

"Shit." Gajeel rumbled under his breath as the curious crowd suddenly got a lot more hostile looking.

"No, no!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her hands peaceably, "He's not a demon! We're wizards! His magic just had that physical effect. We don't mean any harm to anyone here. We're just passing through."

She shoved a little at Natsu, "C'mon Natsu. Let's get going. I think we've overstayed our welcome with these nice people."

"He's a demon!" The woman insisted, pointing at Natsu, "He's got the marks!"

"That he does." Someone from the crowd said as they began moving closer, "An' the ears."

"This ain't good." Gajeel muttered tensely.

They were saved from the situation escalating any further when a portly man pushed through the crowd and raised his voice over the ruckus.

"Alright now that's enough!" He set his hands on his rounded belly, his voice booming out loud enough to attract the attention of all.

The atmosphere was heavy and charged, but obediently silent.

"We don't get near enough visitors to our town to be picking and choosing who we serve!" The man boomed out. His drawling voice was thick, but he held the air of someone in charge. Naturally the people around them began to relax.

Natsu growled quietly, but fell silent when Lucy squeezed his shoulder tightly. The silent command to keep quiet was clear enough.

"These nice folks are from Fairy Tail, so let's show them some hospitality and see past the funny lookin' one for now," The man continued peacefully.

Lucy could feel Natsu's anger boiling under the surface by the way his neck flexed against her fingers. But he thankfully got the message and held his tongue. A fight with the villagers at this point wouldn't work out in anyone's favor...

But damn it, not even that logic could tamp down on Lucy's tongue.

"Thank you sir," Lucy spoke with a bit of sharpness in her voice that skated just along the edge of politeness, "But like I said before, my friend can't help the way he looks, and there's nothing "funny" about it either."

Natsu blinked at Lucy, a silly smile lighting across his face, which she met with a quick flash.

"Of course ma'am, no disrespect meant," The man rolled easily with the correction.

Lucy nodded slightly, figuring this was about as good as they were going to get, "Thank you." She replied politely, if a shade frostily, "Now that _that's_ cleared up," She managed, barely, to refrain from shooting the woman who started it a dirty look, "Please excuse us. We would like to retire _peacefully_ for some rest before leaving in the morning."

Natsu's smile widened a bit at the faint growling he could hear in Lucy's tone. His mistress was not happy, at all, but for once he wasn't inclined to get in the middle of things.

In fact, he was rather enjoying watching her express her displeasure. It was fun when it wasn't directed at him.

"Of course!" The man replied jovially, and bowed slightly, "I am the Innkeeper. Please, allow me to escort you to my humble inn."

Lucy raised a surprised eyebrow that the man who had diffused the potential mob situation was the _innkeeper_ of all people, but she nodded with more politeness.

"Thank you." She said again as he led them off, not surprised that Natsu fell into step behind her in case things got ugly again, and made a mental note to have a clear talk with him about the kinds of things he'd done as END and why he had to be careful outside the city.

She'd been dancing around it for weeks, not really wanting to burden him with things he couldn't remember, but it seemed that strategy had bitten her in the ass.

He knew in a vague sense of the word, that he had done some kind of crime in the past. That there was something he didn't quite remember. But the depths of the horrors END had committed were written about in every history book she had ever known. And the price of the ink it had been written in was the blood of wizards and humans who had come before her.

So when all four of them filed into their room, Lucy insisted they all eat in their rooms. Natsu was confused by this course of action, but he didn't argue it.

He was still being given extremely unfriendly glares wherever they went, even if the situation had been diffused.

Once they were situated in their room, Natsu wandered over to the window where he saw a group of people milling around. His sharp ears could pick up angry voices from outside and he frowned a little.

"They're... afraid," Natsu frowned uncomprehendingly. He recognized that anger and knew the emotion it was stemming from. He had felt that haunting, hollow emotion of fear before.

He knew how easily the match of anger could be sparked when fear was the fuel.

The only question was why.

"Why are they so afraid of me?" Natsu mumbled.

Lucy sighed and looked down into her cup as if it would give her all the answers she was looking for, "For some, it's because you're a demon." She answered quietly, "These folk have been ravaged by demonic attacks for who knows how long. They know how to recognize what you are no matter what I say."

She steeled herself and looked up at him grimly, "I'm not sure if any of them recognize you as END, but it doesn't matter if they do or not. The fact that you're a demon automatically means you're evil to them."

Natsu's heart clenched at that, though it was tempered with a kind of acceptance. Lucy had said they were at war, and it was going badly for the humans.

He supposed it shouldn't be a surprise he would not be welcomed by her people.

"Lucy..." He hesitated for a moment and frowned, "Lucy, what have we, I, done to them to make it this bad?"

Lucy grimaced, "That's a broad question Natsu." She replied, "This is a war that's gone on for four hundred years. A lot of atrocities have been committed over the centuries, and every one leaves a bad taste in the mouth."

She shook her head, "My dad was killed when a demon named Deliora attacked the town he was visiting. He leveled the entire town in one night. Over twenty thousand people dead, and only a few survivors."

Natsu's throat felt like sandpaper at the news, "And that was one attack?" He managed.

Lucy nodded, "Deliora is one of the few powerful demons around, and attacks from them are rarer. No one knows why exactly, but some think it's because they're devoting their energy to searching for their creator, Zeref. Which is just as well considering what they're capable of."

Natsu swallowed thickly and sat down across from her, "Please Lucy." He pleaded, "Tell me everything. I _need_ to know."

Lucy thought it was incredibly sad that the first time Natsu expressed a need, outside of his desire for fire, it was for this. However, she nodded.

"What I know from history is that Zeref created END, you, a little over four hundred years ago. No one knows why, but no one knows why he created demons at all." She shook her head, "Maybe he didn't even need a reason other than he was evil and could."

"Anyway, it was shortly after that everything went crazy. Zeref demanded the throne, but when the King refused he unleashed END and murdered the King on the spot." She shivered, "It became the bloodiest massacre in history. The palace was leveled, the royal army, mages and normal soldiers alike, were slaughtered in droves. The people killed or rounded up as slaves."

"It was after that Zeref declared war on humanity. If we did not surrender to him we would be killed. Some places did. Alvarez was the first to give in. But not Fiore. We've fought every step of the way."

"And Zeref was my Master, so I-" Natsu filled in the blanks. He looked a little pale under his skin as his eyes turned towards Lucy, looking horrified over what he was filling in the blanks.

END was turned loose on the human populace. Commanded to kill, burn, maim, torture, and who knew what else.

He looked down at his hands, clean of blood, but he imagined a time where they were drenched.

The thought of hurting so many people was horrible. But he knew if Lucy were to ever command him to do such a thing, he would without question. Natsu felt a chill run down his spine at the thought.

His creator, Zeref, had ordered him to kill without thought or pause.

Natsu had no problem with attacking anyone who would hurt his Mistress. Protecting Lucy was second nature to him. And eliminating any threat to her made sense in a way that appealed to his demonic nature.

But to kill and kill and kill...

Just because they wouldn't accept his Master as their King?

They were right to be afraid.

"What else is there?" Natsu asked Lucy, hoping that was the worst of his already terrible crimes.

But at the look on Lucy's face, he knew there were heaps more. More than she could probably even say.

She approached him like she would a wounded animal, and pressed her palms against his cheeks to steady him. Natsu hadn't even realized he had been swaying.

"Natsu, don't torture yourself like this," She commanded him gently, "There are history books full of information, but no one will really know what the truth was like."

"No one is alive now that witnessed what happened then, and you don't remember," She patted his cheeks, "What's important now, is that we fix it. We take back what Zeref stole. From all of us."

Natsu stared at her skeptically for a moment before slowly sighing and nodding. She was right of course. He knew that. But that didn't stop him from feeling the taste of bile rising up in his throat.

"Is that why you didn't like me at first?" He whispered, a sense of desolation matching the faint nausea. He knew Lucy had taken time to warm up to him, and if what she was saying was true... he couldn't blame her.

"In part." Lucy replied with the same honesty she always used and he couldn't help smiling faintly, "In the beginning you had no spark of life, and I thought you were nothing more than the demon I'd heard stories about as a child."

She shrugged slightly and ran her fingers through her hair, "I won't lie Natsu. Until you woke up I didn't like the idea of what the council wanted to do to you, but I didn't hate it either. You were a weapon."

She met his eyes firmly, "But then you woke up, and showed me that there was a person inside after all. One who is bright and cheerful and I'm proud to call friend." She pressed her hand against his heart, "That person is not responsible for what Zeref did. For what Zeref made END do. Do you know why?"

He shook his head, caught up in what she was saying, and she smiled.

"Because END was a blank faced golem that could no more control what happened than I can stop a storm. _You_ have a mind and a personality. Therefore you are not END, and what END did was not your fault."

Lucy's words comforted him, but there was a strange flicker of unease in his chest that Natsu couldn't entirely crush. It was almost as if there were a ring of truth to her words, but it was just slightly off.

He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but he covered Lucy's hand with his own.

There was still a burning curiosity in him to uncover the truth of his past. He knew nothing he would remember would be good for him, but at some point he knew he was going to have to face what END had done.

Lucy ordered him not to torture himself with the knowledge of what he had done, but not to seek it out.

"Alright Lucy," He flashed her a smile, even if the ache in his chest beat hollowly. He felt like it was still there, twisting around the knowledge that he had done something to make Lucy ever dislike him in some way.

Demons, were they all evil by definition?

Until he figured out the truth, he would be careful. Making sure people didn't recognize him for what he was would be more important than ever. Which he supposed meant covering up his markings and tucking his hair over his ears.

"I guess I'll play myself off as whatever... Gajeel is for now," Natsu frowned as he fought for the memory of what it was.

"A dragonslayer," Lucy filled in the blank and Natsu nodded.

"Yeah that thing, although anyone with a sense of smell will be able to tell Gajeel and I aren't human," Natsu yawned.

Lucy blinked, suddenly thrown off by Natsu's rather flippant statement as the demon shucked off his vest to a far corner of the room, discarding the ties of his pants as he moved.

"Wait what?" Lucy blinked at Natsu, following him quickly to the bed, "Gajeel isn't human?"

Natsu, however, ignored her question as he flopped over on the bed and instantly became one with it.

"Natsu!" Lucy whined in frustration as he started to snore loudly and obnoxiously. But she knew from experience that he really was as asleep as he looked, and nothing short of an emergency or food would wake him up.

She sighed and decided she was probably better off just getting ready for bed herself. At least he was sleeping after what she'd revealed to him. She'd been a bit worried that would be a problem, but it seemed he'd taken her order to heart.

She walked back over to where Levy was giggling and rolled her eyes as she began rummaging through her pack, "Aggravating demon." She muttered, "I think he does that on purpose."

Levy grinned, "Well, to be fair, Gajeel may _not_ smell entirely human."

Lucy glanced at her curiously and Levy cocked her head, "You mean you don't know? Gajeel was found by Metallicana as a baby. He's lived most of his life in a dragon nest, and grew up learning their magic. That's why he's a dragonslayer." She shrugged, "It's also probably why Natsu would say that. His magic changed him physically, so there's bound to be some dragon in there."

Lucy sat back in surprise, "I had no idea." She admitted, "I thought he was a metal manipulator of some kind like Gray."

Levy grinned, "Well you weren't far off the mark." She glanced around, "Come to think of it... where _is_ Gajeel anyway? He left right after we ate, but that was a while ago."

"I'm not sure," Lucy admitted, only just now realizing Gajeel had left somewhere. He had slipped away like a shadow and Lucy wasn't sure where he could have disappeared to. He vanished like smoke, and the fact he had been gone so long only made her nervous.

"I wouldn't worry about him Lucy," Levy said, sensing how her friend looked to be growing anxious. She pulled out her toothbrush so she could get ready for the night.

"He's kind of the solitary type, and he likes to run off on his own," Levy shrugged, "and if he runs into trouble we're close by."

Lucy wasn't entirely convinced but she had to admit Levy had a point. Gajeel was practically the definition of a loner. It was entirely likely she was still on edge from the angry mob after them.

-::-

While Lucy and Levy were getting ready Gajeel was doing a little bit of snooping. He didn't trust these people after the episode from earlier, and he sure as hell wasn't going to sleep in the same town as them until he was sure it was actually safe.

Something he very seriously doubted was the case.

He knew, better than most, that prejudice could run deep, and while he couldn't blame the girls for wanting a chance to relax and sleep in a real bed he knew the kind of traps that could be waiting if they weren't careful.

So he slipped silently through the shadows and listened.

At first, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. People talking, some playing music and drinking, the sounds of kids demanding food or playtime.

But then, as it got later, and darker, the tone changed.

The children had gone to bed, and now the adults were talking more freely. He frowned as he overheard one pair of women talking fearfully about the 'demon' from earlier before a third shooed them on. That wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either as long as it was all talk.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to stay that way.

No the fearful gossiping turned from one person into two, two into four until it increased exponentially.

Gajeel swore quietly as he saw the quiet town morphing before his eyes into crowd of angry villagers. It seemed the mob had not been diffused, only delayed.

He was about to slip away to warn the others that their visit was going to be cut short, when the portly innkeeper from before approached the crowd.

Gajeel hung back to observe, wondering if the man would stop the situation before it escalated. But that was not the case.

"Alright the demon and his human captives are all asleep and in their room now, if we are going to take him by surprise, we've got to go now. The sedative I put in his food won't last forever," the innkeeper grunted.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed dangerously and he grit his fangs in anger. Of all the conniving and underhanded things to do... he had to move fast if he was going to race the mob.

Fortunately, the size of the mob would work against it. At least for now. The sheer size wasn't anything good, but at least it meant it would take a couple of minutes for it to get organized enough to start marching.

Gajeel wasted no time as he ran back to the inn with a speed that belied his appearance, and rushed into their room.

"Up!" He snapped, flicking the lights on, "Get up now! We gotta leave immediately!"

"Wha?" Levy asked confusedly as she sat up, unintentionally giving him a delicious view of her rumpled and in a shirt that looked like it might fit him.

"No time to talk shrimp." He growled as he moved to their packs and started shoving things in, "There's an angry mob on it's way to kill Natsu and 'liberate' us. We gotta run if we don't wanna fight."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and she scrambled out of bed to shake Natsu, "Natsu!" She ordered, "Get up! We have an emergency!"

She heard him snort and blink blearily at her and nodded before diving for her clothes and cramming everything back into her pack without regard for proper packing.

"Not sure that's gonna work." Gajeel grunted, nodding at the dazed looking Natsu, "Damned innkeeper drugged his food."

Natsu just yawned, stretching out as his back bowed off the bed, "Did he?" Natsu asked with a roll to his shoulders.

He jumped out of bed and flexed an arm, his eyes narrowing in distaste, "I thought it smelled weird."

"But you're okay?" Lucy asked, waving a hand in front of his face. Natsu followed the gesture with ease and he sheepishly shrugged.

"I might have... replaced my plate with one I swiped in the hall going up," he admitted nervously. Lucy gave him a scandalized look and his cheeks flushed.

"I didn't know it was laced, I thought it was just bad! I was still hungry!'" He whined.

Lucy rolled her eyes and shoved his vest at him, "Just as well all things considered." She huffed, "C'mon, get dressed."

She moved to pull her pack on when there was a loud crash downstairs as the mob burst in, "Uh oh..." She muttered as the angry villagers stomped upstairs with enough noise to wake the dead, never mind the people they were there to get, "I think we just ran out of time."

"We ain't done yet." Gajeel growled as he shoved the window open and shoved Levy, pack and all, under his arm before jumping out.

"That's one way to get out." Lucy noted, a little surprised over the swiftness of it all. There was a solid thump at their door that had her scrambling over to the window ledge herself, "Looks good to me! C'mon Natsu!"

A sickening crack sounded on the door and Lucy hastily dropped the two remaining packs down before climbing into the window. She hesitated as she looked back at Natsu, but he'd already positioned himself squarely between her and the door.

"Go Lucy!" He snarled, fire igniting on his fists, "I'll be right there!"

Lucy nodded, knowing he could take care of himself and trusting him not to do anything unnecessary. When alone, Natsu let out a rumble of anger at the mob filling the doorframe.

"I never intended to hurt any of you," he breathed out a cold warning, the fire in his hands dancing in the darkness and casting inky shadows over his face.

"You should go," His flaming hand reached out to the the wall next to him. His eyes were cruel and sharp, fingers flexing around the flames cracking and snapping in his grasp.

"This inn is the center point of traffic for this village," Natsu growled, his fingers skimming along the old wood. Ashy fingerprints began to coat the surface while the paint boiled and peeled off.

"What will happen to your town if your main source of industry were to go up in smoke?" Natsu growled. He bared his fangs at them, tension coiling his body up like a spring at the mob which had fallen deathly silent.

"Ultimately, you and everyone here would be so crippled, you would have to either stay and die, or leave and maybe live trying to find the next way station - that is if the monsters don't get you first," Natsu closed his eyes, "You can kill me, fine. But you threatened my mistress and her friends."

Why _should_ he not tear apart their lives? All it would take would be a small stroke of his finger across the dry wood.

 _"What's important now, is that we fix it. We take back what Zeref stole. From all of us."_

The words, affectionately spoken a scant few hours go, came back to him almost as soon as he asked himself that question. END. His alter ego or whatever. The reason these people hated and feared and suffered in the first place. If he did this he would be just like the stories written about END and the crimes he committed.

No. He couldn't.

These people had started it first, yes, but could he really blame them after what they'd been through at demonic hands? This was different from Jose. The master of Phantom Lord had reveled in his power and control over those he could manipulate.

These people were just afraid.

His mistress was safe. He knew Gajeel would watch her back until he re-joined them. There was no reason to add extra suffering. It would only cause more of the exact problems they were trying to fix by tracking down the dragons.

He sighed as he opened his eyes and dropped his hand, "Go home." He told them tiredly, "And leave us alone."

He watched their shocked expressions for a moment and then turned and leapt lightly out the window to where Lucy and the others were waiting.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Natsu smiled, "They didn't even touch me."

"What a relief!" Lucy sighed and flicked the back of Natsu's arm in punishment, "Don't you scare me like that again!"

Natsu whined, but smiled at Lucy's nerves. It was clear after everything which had transpired, they were going to need to get a little more creative.

"Come on, we need to get out of the town," Levy hissed urgently, although her look of seriousness was dampened slightly by Gajeel having her packed like a piece of lugagge.

They all crept to the shadows, hugging a wall each as they slowly made their way back to entry way to the front of the village

And quietly, as if they were never there, the group vanished.

* * *

 _ **SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!** Again, don't be surprised if there aren't review comments in the next couple of chapters. Mslead won't be here!_

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* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _"I hate to break up this conversation! But the love you all have been sharing is about to be crashed!" Chelia's voice pitched a bit on the shrill side, "We've attracted some unwanted attention!"_

 _"What?" Levy cried, leaning over the edge, which nearly caused Gajeel to tip entirely out of the boat, "From whom? The council has ships in Hargeon, but nothing large enough to cause swells like these!"_

 _Chelia grunted as their boat nearily flipped, and slowly, a large cube-like shape emerged down from above the clouds._

 _"That's because it's not the council," Lucy breathed in horror, "It's Tartarus."_

 _This time when they looked at one another in horror, it wasn't because of vomiting, but the very real threat that was descending down near them._

 _"I don't think we've been spotted yet!" Chelia struggled with her winds as the large ship continued to disrupt the air currents, "But we have to get out of their sight fast!"_

 _"We're in a boat in the middle of the sea," Gajeel moaned, "I'm up for suggestions."_


	19. Mermaid

_Hey guys! Kytrin again! Not much to say in this A/N really. Mslead is firmly on her vacation and hopefully enjoying herself some. I also wanna say thanks to everyone who wished me well. I'm happy to report that I AM feeling better now. Not perfect, but hey, I'll take better over the miserable of the past week any day. That said... enjoy your chapter! :)  
_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 _ **-**_ **ACT 2-**

 _ **CHAPTER 19**_

 _ **Mermaid**_

 _Mermaids are sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods, storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In other folk traditions (or sometimes within the same tradition), they can be benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with humans._

* * *

Lucy breathed in relief as they emerged from the forest and into the area immediately around Harjeon. The days following their escape from that first village had been harrowing to say the least.

Not only did they have to deal with the usual monsters and problems with being on the road, but it seemed someone had reported them to the magic council because now they were having to dodge patrols looking for them. Because of that they'd stuck to camping since then, but now the end was in sight.

"You're looking awfully cheerful Lucy." Levy commented as Lucy enjoyed the sea breeze.

"Yeah." Lucy sighed dreamily, "It's nice to be out of those trees."

"That ain't gonna help us much." Gajeel grunted, "Harjeon's got Rune Knights stationed here too, an' a branch of the council."

He shot her a look, "They're gonna be lookin' for us you know."

Lucy sighed, "I know, but we don't have much of a choice do we? You said our destination is across the water right? This is the nearest port town we're likely to find."

Natsu, for his part, wasn't listening to their byplay as he barely managed to keep himself by Lucy's side. The sting of the salt air and the new sights and sounds filled his senses in a way nothing he'd encountered before had.

His eyes were wild with excitement and he made soft noises through his nose. Slow, his mouth dropped open and his eyes seemed to haze over.

"It's so nice," He said dreamily, taking a few daring steps towards the town.

Lucy belatedly realized he was so excited about the ocean. He had never seen it before and that seemed like it was the instigating force behind his sudden excitement.

"Hey relax," Lucy grinned at him, "We'll get to the ocean soon and you'll be able to do all the scuba diving you want."

"Really?" Natsu asked with a silly smile. He had no idea what scuba diving was, but this seemed like a fun thing to do.

Lucy grinned back at him, her earlier good mood returning with his smile, "Yeah." She replied, "I'll even show you how."

She glanced at Gajeel, "So how long of a trip are we looking at here?"

She doubted it would be a short boat ride given the nauseated look on the dragonslayer's face, but she wished he would stop being so close mouthed about the details. She got that the dragons were reclusive, and pissed off at most of humanity, but this was starting to border on the ridiculous in her mind.

If something happened to Gajeel they'd be in trouble.

"Too damn long." He grumbled only to yelp with pain when a block of iron dropped on his head, "What's the big idea shrimp?"

"You're being rude!" Levy scolded, "Lucy's question was reasonable, and all you're doing is growling at her!"

Lucy flashed Levy a smile, ignoring Natsu's cackling beside her, "Thanks Levy."

"Oh don't worry about him." Levy smiled back, "He just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today because he knows he has to deal with transportation. Now, let me apply that charm to Natsu's tattoos okay?"

Lucy's smile widened as Natsu happily trotted over to Levy. After some experimentation they'd discovered that Natsu's tattoos could be covered by the same magic that had hidden Levy's guild mark while she was undercover. It helped a lot in disguising him. As long as he covered his ears and avoided smiling with his teeth he passed easily for human.

Dragonslayers seemed to run into the same problem as demons did. As there were so few of them they were often confused for demons.

Still Natsu was all wide grins and excitement, so that didn't leave them in the best of shape, but at least it was better than nothing. They were able to venture into Hargeon virtually unmolested thanks to those charms and she couldn't help but smile as Natsu zipped around the stalls with an excitement that could only be described as childish.

When they got to the port, she was treated to the sight of him running up to the edge of a dock and dipping his fingers into the water. A look of complete bliss crossed his face as he sighed in joy, his eyes flashing up to Lucy. That bright smile was unstoppable and he grinned at Lucy in a way that almost made her breath catch.

There was something about the way his body was curved over itself, the bright sun pooling over his shoulders and arms. It glittered off his rosy hair, illuminating everything about him.

She wondered how a demon could be so bright.

It was beautiful to behold. As if Natsu was a little sun unto himself, or an ancient sun god. The thought had Lucy's cheeks heating up, but despite that she couldn't help smiling back at him. He was simply too happy for her to do anything else.

She wondered if he realized it.

Probably not. But that was alright. It was enough that he was and she got to share the moment with him.

"Lucy!" Levy called, waving her hand a little, "Natsu! We found the boat!"

Lucy looked up to where Levy was smiling and waving nearby, and waved back before trotting over to join them, "This is it huh?"

"Yep!" Levy replied proudly, and gestured to the smiling pair beside her, "This is Lyon and Chelia."

"A surprising pleasure Miss Heartfilia." Lyon replied with a slight bow and dropped a kiss on Lucy's hand, "Your reputation precedes you, and I never expected to meet you under such amenable circumstances."

Lucy blinked in confusion and looked at Levy questioningly.

"They're from the Lamia Scale guild." Levy explained, "Chelia is a air manipulator and has agreed to help ferry us across the water in one of their boats."

"But... how did you know?" Lucy asked in confusion, "We've been mostly in the wilderness."

"Erza spread the word throughout the guilds about your mission." Lyon explained, "She asked us to keep an eye out for your team and offer whatever assistance we could. We were alerted you'd crossed into Harjeon not long after you passed through the gates."

Natsu's eyes zeroed in on the motion of Lucy's hand in Lucy's and the way he had lifted it up to his lips. His head cocked at that, not having seen an action like that before.

He wasn't particularly interested in whatever they were saying, but his attention was rather captured by the action. Lucy hadn't protested it, and Natsu circled around them curiously.

"Uh, what is he doing?" Lyon asked after a long moment of awkwardly tolerating his fascinated pacing.

"He does that sometimes," Lucy said as way of explanation before calmly steering the conversation back on course.

"We'll gratefully accept any help you can offer us if you're willing," Lucy gave him a diplomatic smile. A new guild, one that was allies with Fairy Tail. Her old prejudice of guilds made it hard for her to automatically trust Lamia Scale, but it was significantly easier when they had Fairy Tail's backing.

Lucy was proud of the progress she had begun to make.

"So then lets get started! I wanna get on a boat!" Natsu said with an eagerness that almost made him float off the ground.

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed, "Okay Natsu. We're almost done." She flashed Lyon another smile and climbed aboard with Levy, "Thanks..." She started when Natsu zoomed past Lyon to bounce onto the vessel, "Uhm, as I was saying, I really appreciate it..."

"This is so cool!" Natsu exclaimed, interrupting again, as he inspected every aspect of their new mode of transportation. At least until it rocked under his shifting weight.

At the first creak of motion Natsu froze, a look of confusion on his face, and abruptly sat down.

Lucy shrugged the odd motion off and finished thanking Lyon as Chelia and finally Gajeel joined them. Gajeel, in stark contrast to Natsu, did not run around or anything. Instead, he growled darkly and dropped sulkily down on one side and made himself comfortable.

Lucy hid a sympathetic wince at the look on his face. Clearly he was feeling the motion sickness already, and she felt kind of bad for him. She didn't have it, so she could only guess what it was like, but he looked miserable already.

"Better be worth it." He muttered crossly while she and Levy shared a look.

"Alright!" Chelia grinned, "I'm going to make this as smooth and fast as I can!"

Lucy blinked and barely had time to grab the side as a powerful gust launched them into motion.

The instant that windrift hit, all the color drained out of Natsu's face. He clapped his hands over his mouth, an expression of horrified confusion flashing over his face for the briefest of seconds before he launched himself for the side of the boat.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, barely managing to avoid his sudden lunge. His body seemed to bunch up into a knot as his shoulders trembled. Violently he emptied to contents of his stomach, hacking and whimpering as he threw up for the very first time.

Somewhat alarmed, Lucy pressed her hand against the back of his suddenly sweaty neck, her fingers sliding under his bangs.

"Oh you're burning up!" Lucy gasped at the feverish and ill pallor he suddenly had, "How did you get sick so fast?"

"Looks like I'm not the only one who gets motion sick," Gajeel grumbled weakly, curling up on his side.

"Demons can get motion sick?" Levy asked in astonishment, and Lucy shrugged, "Apparently so."

She pulled her canteen from her pack and settled down next to where Natsu had draped himself over the edge in case he threw up again and started rubbing his back, "Here." She offered him the canteen, "Use this to rinse your mouth and drink what you can. It'll help a little."

She looked over at Levy, "We'll have to see if we can find some medicine for this once we get to our destination. It may help."

Levy nodded, and shifted over to where Gajeel was to offer him the same treatment. She was a little ashamed that it had never occurred to her to try and ease Gajeel's misery like Lucy had so easily. Sure, he might growl at her to go away, but she could offer.

"How d'you know it'll help?" Gajeel wheezed grumpily, and Lucy stared at him in confusion until he held up his own canteen.

"My mom sometimes got motion sickness when I was little." Lucy explained, "The medicine didn't work on her and she didn't take to windy mountain roads very well when they had to travel. So dad always made sure he had extra water for her to drink and rubbed her back when she was sick." She shrugged, "I just picked it up after a while."

Natsu burbled a noise that Lucy thought might be an incoherent "Thank you", and smiled as she continued her ministrations.

He managed to sag himself off the edge of the boat. It was still very cramped as the boat was little more than a dinghy barely large enough to house all of them.

So when Natsu sprawled out, Lucy was forced to shift in her seat to position his head on her lap. He breathed shallowly against her leg, but opened up his eyes enough to fixate on her.

"I hear you can make motion sickness better if you look at one spot. Like the horizon," Levy murmured to Gajeel.

It seemed Natsu was picking up on that, because even as he turned his head so his nose pressed against the inside of Lucy's thigh, his lidded gaze lifted to hers.

His dark eyes watched her as he panted softly against her inner thigh. Lucy couldn't help but feel a somewhat electric charge breeze through her at the feel of his open mouth so close to such a sensitive area. Her heart picked up several beats as she tried to ignore it.

It wasn't like Natsu was trying to be seductive or anything. She doubted he even knew the meaning of the term. Unfortunately, that knowledge didn't stop it from affecting her, so she cast her mind around for something else for them to focus on.

"So what's this island like?" She asked curiously, "I've never heard of Tenrou Island before."

"Ain't on the map." Gajeel grunted painfully, his head also having wound up on Levy's lap, "Long time ago fairies settled there an' the magic keeps most folk from findin' it."

"There are actual fairies there?" Lucy asked in astonishment, "But I thought they were myth!"

Gajeel shrugged, "Dunno. Never saw one, but that don't mean anything. It's got powerful magic there though. That was one of the reason's my old man chose the place to nest." He smirked wanly, "Works out pretty good. Dragons protect the island an' nearby waters, island protects the dragons."

"That does sound like a good arrangement." Levy agreed, a distinct blush on her face as Gajeel settled closer, "How many dragons are in your nest Gajeel?"

Gajeel, however, didn't answer as a particularly violent swell had him leaning over the side of the boat again.

Chelia grunted the winds suddenly started spinning in a way that made the boat pitch terribly. Natsu squeaked and gripped Lucy's hips before he too hauled himself back to the side.

"I hate to break up this conversation! But the love you all have been sharing is about to be crashed!" Chelia's voice pitched a bit on the shrill side, "We've attracted some unwanted attention!"

"What?" Levy cried, leaning over the edge, which nearly caused Gajeel to tip entirely out of the boat, "From whom? The council has ships in Hargeon, but nothing large enough to cause swells like these!"

Chelia grunted as their boat nearily flipped, and slowly, a large cube-like shape emerged down from above the clouds.

"That's because it's not the council," Lucy breathed in horror, "It's Tartarus."

This time when they looked at one another in horror, it wasn't because of vomiting, but the very real threat that was descending down near them.

"I don't think we've been spotted yet!" Chelia struggled with her winds as the large ship continued to disrupt the air currents, "But we have to get out of their sight fast!"

"We're in a boat in the middle of the sea," Gajeel moaned, "I'm up for suggestions."

"It's getting dark so we'll be harder to see." Lucy replied, "Levy, do you think you can create some mist for us?"

Levy bit her lip, "I can, but not enough to keep us covered until we get to Tenrou. We'll need to find someplace closer to hide until they've left."

"Chelia, are there any islands closer to us?" Lucy asked worriedly even as she tried to mentally review her geography lessons.

"No..." Chelia started and then gasped, "No, wait, there is! The cursed island of Galuna. No one who has ever gone there has come back though."

"I think given the choice between a cursed island and Tartarus I'll take the island." Lucy replied grimly, "How far is it?"

"Not too far if I change course immediately, but we'll be cutting it close."

"Then let's hope that Levy's mist holds that long or Tartarus can't see in the dark."

Chelia nodded grimly and switched the wind direction to take them to their new destination. Lucy just hoped that whatever the curse was it really was something they could deal with better than Tartarus.

She hoped even more that Tartarus didn't find them in the process.

And for a while their plan seemed to work fine. Lucy's plan held as well as Levy's mist, but eventually, there was no accounting for Chelia's wind eventually blowing a little too hard in one direction.

It was just for a moment, but in such events a moment was all one typically needed.

But in the second Chelia's wind gusted by them, Levy's mist shifted away from the hull of their ship by a foot.

Lucy didn't even have the time to shout out a warning as what looked like a laser reigned death from above.

The beam of light slammed into the ocean, causing a massive tidal wave to rise around them in a wall over fifteen feet high.

The two men let out twin groans as they tried to hang onto the contents of their stomach, while the girls held onto whatever they could grab. The wave smashed into the boat, obliterating it and sending all of the mages under the water.

* * *

 _SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED SO FAR! I'm gonna forego the names again. Mostly because I'm still running slowly, and need to get ready for work. However, you guys are all loved very much for your encouraging words and thoughts. So thank you! You guys got more than enough reviews to equal a preview so enjoy your reward! :)_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _Natsu grinned a little and started gently running his hands over her, no doubt searching for injuries as well as drying her off and dusting the sand away. She just wished he wasn't doing it so...sensually._

 _Seriously. It was probably one of the most intimate caresses she'd ever felt and romance had nothing to do with it!_

 _And why was she noticing Natsu and his warm hands all of a sudden anyway?_

 _Natsu's hands stilled when she sucked in a sharp breath when his fingertips probed a tender area on her side. There was a hooded sort of expression on his face when she looked up at him. It was one she couldn't explain._

 _"Uh, sorry," Natsu murmured, shifting his weight a bit. His brows furrowed, as if there was something bothering him, but he seemed to shrug it off._

 _Slowly he dragged his hands along her sides, this time intentionally moving so slowly so not to aggravate an injury._

 _"It's okay," Lucy managed to stutter out around a breath, a little confused over why she was acting the way she was._


	20. Selkie

_Hey guys! Apologies for running late again. I kinda had a rough night's sleep, so was too groggy to update this morning, and then work kind of exploded in my face. Again. I really should pay more attention to that probability on update days..._

 _Anyway, do enjoy the chapter, and I'll drop it onto tumblr a little later on! Mslead should be back with you all by the next posting day!_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 20**

 ** _Selkie_**

 _Selkies are mythological creatures found in Scottish, Irish, and Faroese folklore. Similar creatures are described in the Icelandic traditions. Selkies are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land._

* * *

Lucy groaned as she slowly became aware of the sound of gulls flying overhead and the ocean surging. She shuddered as she realized she was getting wet every time the water surged , and in her current clothes it felt disgusting.

She slowly opened her eyes, and nearly instantly regretted it as she discovered she was covered in sand and grit. All of which seemed to be trying to get into her eyes at the same time.

"Ugh." She moaned and managed to brush the sand off enough she could scrub the grit away from her eyes and sat up a little to look around.

They were... on a beach.

At first the significance of that didn't register except as a kind of dull confusion about why they would be washed up on a beach with the remnants of a boat around them, but as soon as her eyes landed on Chelia it all came rushing back.

The trip to Tenrou, the unexpected appearance of Tartaros, and their frantic attempt to escape the demons that ended in an encounter with a ship, and some kind of something that created the tidal wave that tore apart their boat.

She vaguely remembered hitting the water, and being disoriented until strong arms wrapped tightly around her and pulled her to the surface.

It was kind of hazy after that, but considering Natsu was beside her she was willing to guess who her rescuer had been.

"I guess we made it to Galuna." She murmured dazedly, and shook her head to try and clear it a little more as she started nudging at Natsu, "Wake up Natsu. We made it." She looked around, "Levy! Gajeel! Chelia! Are you guys alright?"

Natsu let out a quiet moan before he coughed harshly. He pushed himself up onto his elbows with a shuddering sound escaping him and he shook his head.

Immediately as his senses came back to him, his gaze snapped around him, frantically searching for her no doubt. When they found her, he relaxed and slowly laid back down on the sandy beach.

"Lucy, are you okay?" He croaked, rolling sideways onto his back.

He licked his lips and forced himself to sit up. Water was pooling around his waist and he shook his numbing fingers.

"Come on Lucy," He held a hand out to her, his eyes still assessing any damage done to her, "I'll get you dried up."

Lucy smiled at him as she unsteadily got to her feet, "If you're okay, help me get the others up first. We shouldn't stay here much longer. There might be search parties or something."

She stumbled a bit over to where Gajeel was sprawled, Chelia and Levy both near him. Had he saved them both? Probably.

The growly dragonslayer really did have a few squishy spots.

However, she said nothing about it as she shook his shoulder, "Gajeel! Wake up!"

The large man groaned a little an wrinkled his face before sitting up suddenly and spitting out a mouthful of sand, "Ugh." He gagged and scooped up a handful of seawater to rinse his mouth out. He looked up at her blearily for a moment before his gaze sharpened.

She could practically see him working through their situation before he nodded and began shaking Levy awake.

Satisfied that Gajeel could handle the rest Lucy headed back over to where Natsu was still sitting on the beach and reached out to help him up, "I'll take that drying now if the offer's still open."

Natsu grinned a little and started gently running his hands over her, no doubt searching for injuries as well as drying her off and dusting the sand away. She just wished he wasn't doing it so...sensually.

Seriously. It was probably one of the most intimate caresses she'd ever felt and romance had nothing to do with it!

And why was she noticing Natsu and his warm hands all of a sudden anyway?

Natsu's hands stilled when she sucked in a sharp breath when his fingertips probed a tender area on her side. There was a hooded sort of expression on his face when she looked up at him. It was one she couldn't explain.

"Uh, sorry," Natsu murmured, shifting his weight a bit. His brows furrowed, as if there was something bothering him, but he seemed to shrug it off.

Slowly he dragged his hands along her sides, this time intentionally moving so slowly so not to aggravate an injury.

"It's okay," Lucy managed to stutter out around a breath, a little confused over why she was acting the way she was.

She swallowed when his large hands came around to cup her face. It wasn't right for her to be reacting the way she was. It was so beyond bad, it had jumped straight into insanity.

Natsu cocked his head at her. He was sensing something strange from Lucy, but he couldn't figure out what it was. She was flushed and seemed nervous about him touching her, but it wasn't fear or disgust causing it. He was pretty sure he would recognize that. This was something else.

Unfortunately, the what was eluding him.

However, they didn't have time for him to think it through. Lucy was right. They needed to get off the beach before Tartaros spotted them. So after he was certain the worst injuries she had were bumps and bruises he grinned at her and pulled away.

"Alright! Who's next?" He beamed at the others, but didn't wait for a response before moving over to Chelia. Unlike his careful inspection of Lucy, however, he just ruffled her hair and sent a surge of warmth around her. It had the same effect of drying her, but without the injury inspection.

"Thanks." The younger wizard smiled, and moved over to Lucy, "I noticed you were a little hurt. Hold still and I can heal your wounds."

"You can do that?" Lucy asked in surprise, and was rewarded with a slightly impertinent smirk.

"I'm a sky godslayer." She replied, "It means I can manipulate air like you saw, but sky magic is also healing magic. I didn't mention it before because I didn't think it would be needed. But with Tartatros after us that's changed."

"That's amazing!" Natsu gushed as he too edged in closer to Chelia to get a better look at the strange new magic she would be casting on his mistress.

His eyes went wide as black magic seemed to form around Chelia's hands, a gentle rush of it breezing around them to coat over Lucy's bumps and scrapes.

Before his eyes, all signs of injury were gone, and Lucy was straightening in surprise.

"Wow!" She gasped and looked at her hands, "That's incredible Chelia!"

Gajeel nodded, shifting over there to look at her, "Sky magic huh. That's some rare stuff. I can count the people who can do that on one hand with fingers left over."

Natsu moved his hands over to Levy next, drying her off with a breeze of heat that left her giggling. He glanced at Gajeel, "you know someone else with magic like this?"

Gajeel lifted his shoulder and shook his head, "Not personally. But the word goes that Igneel's queen is a sky dragon. She's one of the most powerful healers ever to exist."

"Even I know of her, even if it's just rumors and legend," Chelia murmured, her eyes glancing hesitantly at Gajeel, "It's said her healing magic is good enough to help those even touched by death."

"Really?" Levy asked in excitement over new knowledge she had never heard of before, "What else is there to know? Mr. Grump over here is barely telling us anything!"

Chelia grinned a bit sheepishly as they started moving inland, "Not much that isn't legend." She replied, "The sky queen's magic works differently from my sky magic." She shrugged a little, "But that's probably the difference between a godslayer and a dragon."

"I do know she eats air like I do." Chelia began ticking off on her fingers, but Lucy looked sharply at her.

"Hold on, you eat air?" She asked in surprise, "And this dragon does too?"

Chelia blinked a little in surprise and shrugged, "Yeah. Supposedly all dragons eat their element, and I've never met another godslayer, but I can too so I guess it's a normal thing." She cocked her head curiously, "Why?"

Lucy glanced at Natsu, "Natsu eats fire." She explained, and eyed the demon, "Maybe you're like a godslayer too?"

Natsu frowned and crossed his arms, "I dunno. Maybe. But my fire isn't all black, so I'm not sure that's quite right."

Lucy shrugged a little, "Maybe, but it's something to keep in mind. We don't know if the color means anything to a godslayer or not, and it might explain a few things."

"If it helps," Chelia offered, "I learned my godslaying from studying an ancient book. If there was a similar book for fire godslaying the knowledge could've been implanted in you somehow?"

Natsu's frown got a little deeper, "Yeah maybe." He whined slightly in frustration, "It just doesn't feel quite like the right answer though."

"We can think about it later." Lucy promised and looked back at Chelia, "Do you know if anyone lives on this island? Maybe they can help us out a little since we lost our supplies."

Chelia nodded, "There's a village roughly southeast of us." She pointed, "If we keep going in this direction we should run into it."

Chelia shifted nervously, "I think...?" She admitted

"Like I said before, no one who has come to Galuna Island has ever return," Chelia's eyes flashed around herself, now seemingly nervous as she remembered where they were.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts," Gajeel smirked at her, all sharp teeth and cocky laughter.

"N-no!" Chelia protested, but her trembling and pale face spoke to the contrary.

Levy swiped at Gajeel's shoulder, giving him a firm glare that even had the dragonslayer taking a wide step back, "Quit teasing her! This place is really spooky!"

"Wuss," Gajeel teased Levy back instead even as her small fists flailed at the air. She might have been tiny, but her rage was anything but.

"Well if no one has been able to make it off the island before, how do we know there's a village here?" Lucy asked reasonably. She set her hands on her hips.

Chelia shifted a bit anxiously and rolled her shoulders as she summoned up her bravery, "well, passing by boats can see the lights of the village along the coast. But whenever someone tries to investigate where they come from..."

"Sounds more like monsters to me," Lucy patted Chelia's arm. She smiled at her, "Besides, we're all together now."

Natsu had his head lifted to the air while they were discussing whether or not this place was haunted. He was settling in the camp of 'not' by the moment.

"Hey Gajeel, you smell that?" He asked.

The dragonslayer looked up, nostrils flaring as he caught wind of whatever Natsu picked up on.

"Good news for you two," Gajeel smirked wickedly at the two, "there ain't ghosts or monsters here on this island."

Levy followed Gajeel as he caught the scent and began to walk where they were heading with long strides. She almost had to run to catch up.

"What makes you say that?" Levy demanded as the rest of their group followed.

"Last I checked," Gajeel pointed across a ridge where a smoke stack was lifting just over the tropical trees, "Ghosts don't cook."

"That's a relief." Lucy breathed, "Most monsters don't cook either. That must mean there's some other explanation to why folks don't come back."

"Well it is a tropical island." Levy offered, "There might be rocks or a reef or something that keeps people from getting too close."

"Well whatever it is, we're about to meet it." Natsu pointed out as they rounded a bend in the trail and found themselves not far from a fortified village, "Looks like we're there now."

However, before they could get too close they were brought up short by a half dozen spears in their faces. Spears belonging to demons.

Lucy gawked in surprise. These guys were lower level demons, but they were obviously intelligent. What were they doing out here?

The leader blinked in surprise as he caught sight of Natsu and hastily lowered his spear and knelt, "Forgive us Lord Etherious!" He exclaimed, which prompted the other demons to do the same, "We did not realize who you were!"

Natsu stared at them in confusion, "Lord Etherious?"

"Etherious is a rank of demon." Lucy explained, "It's reserved for the most powerful demons Zeref ever created. There are only maybe a half dozen demons with the title." She looked at the terrified looking group, "We're sorry we scared you. We're not going to hurt you."

Natsu chose not to mention how close he had been about to do just that in defense of Lucy, but this information about demons pulled him up short.

Lucy looked hesitant, her natural distaste for demons seemingly pushed aside for what seemed to be mostly harmless and weak demons. They didn't look like they could inflict a lot of damage.

Even stranger though, they were seemingly more intelligent than other kinds.

"Really now?" One of the elders looked at them, "We saw Tartaros' fortress looming nearby and we feared the worst. Especially when they fired so close to the island."

"You are not with them?" He asked.

Natsu shook his head, "No. We're not. I've never met-" He hesitated and glanced at Lucy, "I don't have any memory of meeting them before."

It was likely he _had_ met those demons in the past, and he found he couldn't lie to them about that.

The demon's gaze shifted over them, falling to the others around. His eyes widened as they fell on the humans and then snapped back up to Natsu.

He said nothing, only gawked at him until Natsu patted at his cheeks, wondering if there was something weird on his face.

"So uh, you all are demons that don't like Tartaros?" Levy asked.

"Dislike isn't the correct word." The elder replied, "But we have no great love of them either. Our tribe was originally created to be used as hard labor for the mines, farms, and ores Zeref's followers required. We were bred to be the perfect laborer. Smart enough to think for ourselves, strong enough to do the work of any ten humans, but too weak to fight against our superiors."

"It sounds like something happened." Lucy murmured, "Because I've never heard of demons like you before."

The elder nodded, "Zeref chose to conquer humanity instead." He replied, "After all, why create an infrastructure from scratch when one is already available, and breeds much more easily than demons despite the drawbacks?"

He shrugged, "Our forefathers were cast aside. The higher ranking demons didn't even want them as personal servants. So we drifted around until we decided to remove ourselves from the world entirely and came to Galuna. As long as we attract no attention and cause no trouble we're ignored."

"So you see... we have no particular enmity against Tartaros, but neither do we love them for they could destroy us all with ease." He fastened his gaze on Lucy, "The same is true for humans young lady. If they knew of us we would be wiped out without a second thought, but all we want is to live peacefully."

Lucy blinked and touched her hand to Natsu's arm. He looked at her curiously but said nothing.

"This is the demon END," Lucy said clear and plain to the gathered tribe. It was a gamble to admit such a thing to them, but Lucy had a somewhat crazed and wild thought that she hoped panned out.

"Because the human Council wants to use him as a weapon, we have been hunted out of the city. And the demons of Tartaros have already made a play to try and take him by killing me," Lucy breathed out through her nose.

Natsu gave her an alarmed and somewhat worried look. He was afraid she was saying too much, but belatedly realized she must have had a plan he hadn't caught on to yet.

"All we want is peace, but our world - our whole world, including this island, is on the brink of destruction," Lucy looked at Natsu standing next to her, "END - Natsu, is our best chance to fix the way things have been. But we can't do that if he's taken before we get to our destination."

All at once, Natsu figured out what Lucy had ages before him.

Tartaros was still in the area. More than likely, they were very close.

And if they chose to investigate - which they would, it wouldn't take long for them to be discovered. After all, with a destroyed boat, they had no way of moving anywhere.

The Galuna demons all looked at each other. It seemed crazy that END would care about peace or anything else. None of them had been alive when he was active, but they'd all heard the stories from their parents and grandparents.

"Do you share your mistress' opinion Etherious Natsu?" The elder asked gravely, "Are you truly willing to fight against Tartaros and make this a world where demons like us might be welcomed in human society?"

Natsu nodded firmly, "Definitely. Zeref's reasons for going to war are stupid, and it's dragged on way too long. It's way past time we ended this."

The elder sighed and shook his head, "You are a strange group." He told them, "I never imagined humans and demons could agree on anything. Let alone something so important."

He glanced at the young leader they'd originally met, and he nodded, "I think we should help them father." He said with certainty, "Our reasons for withdrawing and hiding might've been good ones, but what the other Etherious are doing is madness. I've flown beyond the island myself and seen it."

"Very well." The elder replied, "There is an underground waterway beneath the temple in the center of the island that leads directly to the sea. The temple itself is protected by holy magic. It's too powerful for us to penetrate, but perhaps not too powerful for an etherious."

"That's good, but won't that mean Tartaros can get into it too?" Lucy asked, and the elder chuckled.

"Yes they can. And while they're searching the temple and underwater passageway we will be preparing to send five of our young hunters off on a 'trading voyage' to some of the non-human peoples on other islands. They may perhaps even try contacting the dragons on Tenrou on our behalf." He shrugged, "Who knows how long they'll take to get back."

"You're a clever old guy, aren't you?" Natsu said enthusiastically, which earned him a smack on the back of the head from Lucy.

"Hey you be polite, he's trying to help us out here and he doesn't have to," Lucy grumbled and murmured an apology at the elder.

"It's quite alright, it seems END hasn't quite gotten the hang of manners," The elder's eyes narrowed at the demon, who looked rather embarrassed.

"Sorry," Natsu mumbled in apology, fixating his eyes on the short man.

In hindsight it was almost hilarious to see. Natsu apologizing to a scrawny looking demon he could easily kick into the next century. Lucy smiled a little at his sincerity, and she shook her head.

"Quite fine," the elder waved for them to follow him, "now hurry. Lets get you inside and changed into some clothes. We will shift our forms to look like your human friends so you may blend in more easily."

"Thank you." Lucy told him as they headed into the village proper.

It seemed word had already gotten back as some of the villagers were quickly changing into their human forms and greeting the group with familiar waves as if they were long lost friends. Lucy privately had to wonder if maybe Zeref and Tartaros underestimated the intelligence of these weaker demons.

"Aw, you guys look awful!" One of the ladies said with a knowing grin, "The hunt must've been a bad one huh?"

Lucy blinked and realized belatedly that they were already trying to make the cover story believable in case Tartaros was close enough to watch. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but she smiled back as if she were exhausted, "Yeah... We kept having to start over thanks to _those_ two."

The demoness laughed, "Well I'm sure you'd like to get cleaned up from that! C'mon! I was getting ready to head to the bath house myself! You can tell me all about your hunt while we soak!"

She eyed the two men, "You should get cleaned up too." She leaned close to Natsu and Gajeel, "You want to look good for your lovers don't you?" She stage whispered with a smirk.

"Wha-?" Lucy spluttered while Levy went red, but they were both shooed along by the demoness until they were out of sight.

"Lovers?!" Lucy exclaimed once they were at the baths, and the demoness nodded.

"Demons don't generally have any of your human inhibitions about sex." She explained in a low tone, "We make love as passionately as we hunt and fight. So it's not often you'll see an unattached pair together for long periods of time. Since you're not bonded to each other you must be serious lovers considering a handfasting to be so close."

She looked at Chelia, "Or family. You would pass for the pink haired one's little sister."

"You think so?" Chelia tugged at one of her pigtails as they all got ready. She giggled at the way her two companions looked like they were getting ready to melt into the water.

"Would it really be so bad?" Chelia sighed as she drank in their red complexions, "You both would be in _love_ , and there is no greater magic than that!"

"Except the magic of my utter embarrassment," Levy moaned when they finally got into the waters. The demons around them laughed and immediately got in after their guests.

Lucy's face was red as she imagined playing off the role of Natsu's lover. She didn't even know if he'd be able to act that out. Did he even know about anything of that nature?

Lucy wasn't sure. If he did, he never acted on any of it.

She patted her flushed cheeks and sank down back into the water.

If Tartaros didn't kill her, pulling this off surely would. Especially since Natsu would ask a million _questions_.

On the other side of the partition Natsu frowned in confusion at the giggles of the girls and looked at the others, "I don't understand. What's so special about a lover? I mean, what is that anyway?"

All movement around him stopped and he looked over at Gajeel and the other male demons staring at him incredulously, "What?"

"Ehm, you are familiar with sex my lord?" One of the demons, Bobo if Natsu remembered correctly, asked diffidently.

Natsu stared at him blankly for a moment, "No. And what's this lord stuff? My name's Natsu."

"Apologies Lo-er, Natsu." Bobo said quickly while Gajeel dropped his face into his hand muttering about idiot demons that didn't even know the basics.

"Hey!" Natsu huffed indignantly, "I know the basics! I know how to fight, and that food tastes good, and that I can kick your ass if I want to!"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, but then smirked and leaned back in the water, "Yeah, but you wouldn't know what to do with that pretty little mistress of yours if she was beggin' for it would ya?"

Natsu suddenly felt defensive by his lack of knowledge. His shoulders hunched and he sank an inch or two under the water. His brow furrowed at Gajeel's insinuating tone, his brain scrambling to try to pick up what he meant.

It wasn't long ago he had learned how to _speak_ , so his knowledge was a little spotty.

"I know only what my mistress needs me to know," Natsu growled at Gajeel, somehow irrationally angry over the hint he wouldn't be able to service his mistress in whatever way she desired, "If she doesn't want sex, then that knowledge hasn't been kickstarted!"

This made Gajeel snort, even as the temperature of the water raised in degrees.

It bubbled around Natsu's waist and he glared heatedly at Gajeel, the tips of his tapered ears turning red.

Gajeel's expression turned thoughtful as he considered Natsu's earlier statement. He frowned a little and tugged his hair from his face.

"Wait, so it's like that thing where you were actin' like a zombie 'n shit at the beginning? Knowledge trickles back in accordance to how much Lucy wants you to know about something?" Gajeel clarified.

Natsu shrugged, the water shifting around him, "I'm a golem, so I'm meant to serve a master. I'll have an understanding of it whenever Lucy needs it."

Gajeel made a sound, one similar to what Natsu imagined him choking on his own tongue.

"Or, Natsu," Bobo cleared his throat, "we could educate you on the task now should it ever become prudent for you to know. After all, you are a demon. You should know some things for yourself."

"Especially if ya wanna be convincing with Lucy," Gajeel smirked, "she's going to be your 'lover' after all."

"But she's my mistress," Natsu frowned petulantly, but let Bobo take his wrist and guide him towards the edge of the pool.

He was getting an odd feeling this was going to be an interesting lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to everyone who reviewed! You are awesome as always, and definitely rocked more than enough reviews to earn your sneak peek so enjoy that!**_

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 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _She cleared her throat, somehow finding herself caught in his inquisitive eyes, shifting her load on the platter, "Uh, breakfast will be done soon. You may want to come to a stopping point."_

 _The demon next to Natsu flashed her a knowing smirk that she dutifully ignored, and nodded, "This'll be the last batch then." He replied, "The rest can wait until later easily enough."_

 _He took the meat from Lucy and started hanging it up, but Lucy was no longer paying attention. Natsu hadn't relinquished her hand yet, and she was captivated by his expression._

 _It was lidded and had a quality she'd never seen before and couldn't quite identify. It was both soft and predatory at the same time, and it made her heart thump in her chest._

 _She immediately tried to calm it down. It had no business thumping because of Natsu's looks no matter what they were, and that was final. Natsu was already a slave to her she had no business being attracted to him! End of story._

 _Her mind stuttered to a halt at her own thoughts. Attracted? Was she seriously attracted to him? No way. There was just no way that could really be true! He was **Natsu** for goodness sake! He might make a good friend and partner, but there was no way she could possibly be interested in him like that!_

 _Unfortunately, her own thoughts, and the heat flushing through her told her otherwise._


	21. Sirens

_Hey guys, it's Kytrin. I'm sorry about the super late update here. Mslead had something in RL that came up to take all of her attention, and I didn't find out about it until just now. I don't have any particular announcements or anything off hand, so enjoy the chapter!_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

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 **CHAPTER 21**

 ** _Siren_**

 _The Sirens were beautiful yet dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island._

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Jackal wrinkled his nose as he landed on the island the golem and its human keeper had crashed into. As much as he detested admitting it, the little human insects had been quite clever in their efforts to stay under cover while at sea, and had proven elusive to Tartaros' tracking since they'd blown them out of the water.

No matter. He would find them and blow them apart before claiming the golem and returning it to Mard Geer. After all, it wasn't as if they could hide on the island forever.

He scowled as he headed in the direction of the demon village they'd discovered. As primitive as these low level scum were there had been no way to contact them from Tartaros, which meant he had to deal with them in person for information on the island.

He growled softly at the thought and hoped he didn't get fleas in the process.

He would have to blow all of the useless cast offs up if he did.

He might anyway just to enjoy the fireball.

-::-

Meanwhile, Lucy, now dressed in native clothing and a fairly convincing disguise, smiled as she helped the other demonesses put the finishing touches on breakfast.

To her surprise, she'd found she rather liked many of the demons here. They were rougher than she was used to, but no worse than anyone at Fairy Tail really. It was refreshing, and drove home the fact that even demons had perfectly decent people in their ranks.

She hoped these particular demons, if no others, survived the end of the war. It would suit her sense of justice entirely if the only demons to prosper afterwards were the ones the others had shunned.

She grinned as she grabbed a platter of raw meat to take to the smoke house. There she saw Natsu, bent down underneath the construct and listening carefully to instructions by another demon on how to keep the flame tended.

"Having fun down there?" Lucy asked, her eyes drawing over where he was stretched out underneath it on his back. He peeked his head out, eyes lighting up at the sight of her. She couldn't help but smile in return to the one stretched over his face.

He too was dressed and disguised similarly to many of the men around. Which wasn't really all that different from the way he normally dressed. The outfits he had picked out in Magnolia were oddly reminiscent of how the demons here dressed.

It seemed it fit their needs well. What with their transformations, loose fitting clothes were a necessity in some parts. It only made sense that those styles would be similar.

Of course, there were unique characteristics to the clothing that gave it a nicer look than the tired and almost militaristic clothing one could find in the Capital. But Lucy had to admit, when she looked at him, he could really pull it off.

"I'm having a blast! Are you going to replenish the old supply?" He asked as Lucy nodded. He coaxed the fires down a little as she unhooked the smoked meat already inside the little house and replaced it with the raw. They were switched out on her platter and she balanced it on her hip.

Lucy had to admit, Natsu looked at home on Galuna Island. He was among his own kind here, and it seemed he was getting along with them very well.

She was almost sad they would have to go.

As soon as Tartaros was cleared, they would be sent on their way and Galuna Island would be a dream. One, when all this was over, they could hopefully revisit.

She lifted a hand to her arm, but found Natsu's hand catching around her wrist.

His eyes were down on her arms, and he nodded to her, "The paint." He said as explanation, "You'll smudge it."

Oh yeah. Lucy had almost forgotten all about the intricate designs she had painted on her as part of her disguise. If she were to be a demon, that meant she had to look the part.

And it also meant not smudging what was already there.

"Thanks," Lucy smiled at him as he lowered his hand. She tried to ignore the way his fingertips dragged down across her palm. His thumb lightly pressed into her skin.

She cleared her throat, somehow finding herself caught in his inquisitive eyes, shifting her load on the platter, "Uh, breakfast will be done soon. You may want to come to a stopping point."

The demon next to Natsu flashed her a knowing smirk that she dutifully ignored, and nodded, "This'll be the last batch then." He replied, "The rest can wait until later easily enough."

He took the meat from Lucy and started hanging it up, but Lucy was no longer paying attention. Natsu hadn't relinquished her hand yet, and she was captivated by his expression.

It was lidded and had a quality she'd never seen before and couldn't quite identify. It was both soft and predatory at the same time, and it made her heart thump in her chest.

She immediately tried to calm it down. It had no business thumping because of Natsu's looks no matter what they were, and that was final. Natsu was already a slave to her she had no business being attracted to him! End of story.

Her mind stuttered to a halt at her own thoughts. Attracted? Was she seriously attracted to him? No way. There was just no way that could really be true! He was _Natsu_ for goodness sake! He might make a good friend and partner, but there was no way she could possibly be interested in him like that!

Unfortunately, her own thoughts, and the heat flushing through her told her otherwise.

"Natsu." The demon with them prompted, though he didn't stop grinning toothily, "The fire?"

"Huh?" Natsu blinked and shifted, "Oh. Right."

He crawled back under the smokehouse and started working, leaving Lucy to scamper back to the other women in acute relief.

"Got distracted?" One of the women teased, "I don't blame you. He's a _very_ fine example of a male demon."

Lucy felt like hiding in the platter of meats she brought back, her face as pink as Natsu's hair. She thought she was going to burn up in embarrassment.

"I don't- I mean that's not," Lucy stammered, her mind reeling in every direction.

It was only a matter of the worst, or best luck that saved her from having to answer to the amused smiles of the other women.

Bobo came running up to Lucy, Gajeel and Levy keeping short strides behind him, "Tartaros! They've been spotted by our sentries!"

"We have to keep you out of sight," He grunted, grasping a hold of Lucy's wrist, "Natsu!" He shouted to the smoke house, "Come here!"

When Natsu poked his head back out curiously, his expression darkened at the stance Bobo and the others had taken. Quickly he got to his feet and ran over to Lucy.

Bobo guided them to the open seating where they all gathered to take their meals, but positioned them towards the back. He put each pairing on opposite sides to draw attention away from them.

"Now sit and be very still and silent," He warned, "If they discover you are here, all is lost."

Lucy glanced at Natsu nervously, her earlier embarrassment forgotten under the spike of fear she was now feeling. She was shocked when he curled his hand around her waist and pulled her close, his nose brushing her neck.

"Calm down Lucy." He murmured soothingly, "I can smell your fear, and that Tartaros bastard will too." He pulled her into his lap, ignoring her squeak of surprise, and curled his other arm protectively around her, "I'm here." He breathed, "And I'm not gonna let them hurt you."

Lucy stared into his warm, determined, eyes and felt her fear melt away. She believed him. She believed he would protect her against all odds.

In the distance she heard the village chief, Moka, greet their 'unexpected' visitor with subservient reverence, but she didn't even so much look over. She was supposed to be a young demoness madly in love with the demon she was sitting on. There was little that would distract her from him. And to her surprise it was not as difficult to fake as she'd thought it would be.

Natsu's gaze still had hers, and he was gently rubbing his hand along her side in a _very_ distracting way. Enough that her body reacted on its own and pressed into the warm touch.

"Kiss him!" The demoness next to them hissed urgently, "Quick!"

Lucy didn't think to ask why. She certainly didn't think to look up for herself and draw more attention. She just leaned forward as prompted and crashed her lips against Natsu's in a kiss that was considerably more heated and considerably less fake than it was meant to be.

For one blinding second, Lucy feared she might have gone too far. Natsu had stiffened under her like a wooden board. His hand stilling in shock against her side.

Lucy almost yanked herself back, her blood rising to her cheeks in a fog of embarrassment she couldn't quite squelch.

But just as her brain began to wail in horror over the whole embarrassing situation of it all, suddenly Natsu's body relaxed against hers.

His hand gripped her hip, and his arm moved up her back to curl around the back of her head. His hand cradled it, fingers sliding through her hair in a way that had a sharp flutter happen in her gut.

Natsu's mouth relaxed against hers and he returned her kiss. She could feel his hesitation as his lips found hers in a soft caress. But the clumsiness of it was more sensual than other kisses she had back in the capital.

She pressed her teeth into his lower lip, drawing a sharp intake of breath from Natsu that seemed to make his chest quake with the suddenness of it. His hand squeezed into her hip and dipped lower, palming under her thigh to cautiously bring her closer.

A thrill sprang in Lucy's heart, that even despite the plan he was tiptoeing outside the lines. No doubt exploring in his endless curiosity.

And it was a curiosity she was only too happy to encourage.

She gave up trying to deny she was attracted to him at that moment. The heat coiling in her belly left little doubt of that. And she knew in the same instant that it could never, ever, happen. Not for real. He was bound to her every whim, and she knew it would be morally wrong on many levels for her to even consider it.

But she wasn't above taking advantage of their situation to steal this one moment for herself. So she shifted at his lightest touch, pressing herself closer and gently coaxing him as she silently taught him how to kiss.

He picked it up surprisingly quickly, and it wasn't long before his tentative caresses started to get bolder, though he went nowhere near the parts of her that had begun to react most.

Peripherally she was aware of a burning, malevolent, gaze that swept over them for what felt like an eternity before moving on, and a sneering voice saying something to Moka before laughing harshly as it moved further away.

"Lord Jackal is being led to the temple." The demoness breathed next to them, pulling Lucy out of their kiss.

"He what?" She mumbled a bit dazedly, not at all happy the moment was over, prompting a lot of laughter from the nearby demons.

Natsu wasn't in much better shape. He swayed, his body feeling warm and tense as suddenly Lucy sitting on his lap seemed like a very _bad_ idea.

He fought for his breath, a little dazed after that kiss. Suddenly the appeal of kissing made much more sense to him. Gajeel and Bobo had tried to explain it to him before, but without experiencing it he wasn't quite sure what the big deal was.

He licked his lips, the lingering taste of Lucy still clinging to them.

Definitely feeling slow, he barely noticed when Gajeel grabbed him and yanked him back up to his feet.

"It's time to go on our hunt loverboy," Gajeel growled in his ear, making it even harder for Natsu to focus.

His eyes were riveted on Lucy and her mouth. And strangely enough he felt a desire to taste them again. Want. He wanted to try it again.

Blinking rapidly, he managed to force himself back to the present and where a red cheeked Lucy was quickly having her bag pushed into her arms.

Right. It was time to escape.

Yeah.

"Thank you again." Lucy managed around her embarrassment as they were herded efficiently towards the boat that had been set up for them with enough supplies, barring another accident, disguised as trade goods to keep ten more of them comfortable.

"Be sure and tell us how it went once you come back." The demoness smiled and unexpectedly hugged Lucy, "I'll miss you!"

That was enough to jolt Lucy back into reality and that she was playing a part. A part that if she slipped up on even a little could mean death for these people. So she smiled and hugged the woman back, "Yeah. I'll miss you too!"

She was a little surprised to find that she meant it.

And at that moment she resolved they _would_ stop by on their way back, hopefully with Tartaros on the other side of the continent by then, and see their new friends again before heading back to Harjeon.

It was the very least they could do after the demons had stuck their necks out for them instead of trying to turn them over to whichever demon had come looking for them.

More goodbyes were said as they boarded the boat, Natsu and Gajeel valiantly trying to fight the appearance of motion sickness, and headed off.

Lucy tried not to grimace as she picked up an oar and started paddling. They couldn't risk Chelia's magic right now, which meant they had to do this the hard way.

She already wasn't looking forward to the workout.

Levy also cringed and took up an oar, Chelia doing so as well. The men were just doing their best not to hurl over the sides of the boat.

And it was on that note they left Galuna island, their new boat carrying two sick men and three paddling women. All the while Tartaros looked for them on the wrong side of the island.

-::-

By the time they finally arrived at their destination, there wasn't a single person who thought they would even be able to stand much less climb out of the boat with any sort of dignity.

Natsu whimpered as he crawled out onto the beach, coughing and whining when they made it onto solid ground. Next to him, Gajeel oozed off the boat in a mess of sweat and vomit.

Lucy groaned in pain as she crawled out and laid down flat beside Natsu.

"I think my arms are going to fall off," She whimpered to him.

"I think my stomach is going to escape out my throat," He cried back.

"Sailing is officially the worst," Chelia groaned as she too flopped onto the shore, beaching their vessel with a wave of her hand and a helpful gust of wind.

"But we made it, didn't we?" Levy looked up at the sky. She squinted hard against the sun.

"Funny, I thought I would see dragons everywhere," She grumbled, as if expecting them to fall out of the sky.

There was a noise nearby, and suddenly the sand erupted as metal rods burst all around them. Natsu yelped and scrambled for Lucy as they were suddenly caged in tight against one another.

"Yes human, we are," A rumbling voice growled from the trees, "But perhaps you are merely looking in the wrong direction?"

"Damnit pops!" Gajeel grumbled from where he was still sprawled in the sand, and levered himself into a sitting position, "The hell kind of 'hello' is that?!"

He pulled himself to his feet, giving the silent trees a glare and stomped over to the nearest pole where he sunk his fangs into the metal like it was a juicy steak, "You couldn't at least wait until I could enjoy the show _properly_?" He demanded grumpily.

There was another moment of silence before a booming laugh sounded and the trees rustled as a large metal dragon poked his head out of the branches and dropped down to Gajeel's level, "And I see you haven't changed one bit rust spot." The dragon smirked, and bumped his nose into Gajeel's chest, his toothy grin widening when Gajeel didn't move, "Maybe more than a rust spot now." Metallicana corrected, "But still with that vile look in your eyes."

"There ain't nothin' wrong with my eyes!" Gajeel snarled, flashing his fangs at his father, "You need your eyes checked!"

"Uhm... Gajeel?" Levy called nervously, distracting both dragons, "A little help?"

Metallicana looked down and discovered that he'd very nearly stepped on the tiny human sitting petrified between his claws. His expression softened a little and he pulled back a little before shifting down into his human form.

"Apologies little one." He rumbled and extended a hand to her, "I didn't mean to frighten you." He ignored his son's glare and smiled at her, "I'm Metallicana. Gajeel's father and the drake of this nest. What brings you here?"

When the dragon transformed into a shape more easily digested by a human mind, Levy _still_ found herself gaping up at him.

Metallicana bore a striking resemblance to Gajeel for being his adoptive father, a wild mane of black hair and rows of studs decorating his arms and face. His flashing red eyes were peering intensely at Levy, and even when he reached out to shake her hand, she thought his grip could swallow up her whole arm.

He didn't have much in the way of clothing, only thick furs covering his back and looped around his waist. They were banded on his limbs with thick straps of hind and leather cut crudely to keep them in place, which was contrary to other fashions Levy had come up across.

"H-hello!" Levy squeaked at the rakish smirk stretching over Metalicana's face, "U-uh, Gajeel said you may be able to help us?"

"Did he?" Metalicana rumbled, dropping his hand to peer over at Natsu and Lucy. The former looked like he was getting ready to set his whole head on fire to get out of their cage.

"You don't visit or write, but the first thing you ask for when you come back to see me is a favor?" Metalicana growled at his son, humor glittering in scarlet depths, "Brat."

Gajeel rolled his eyes as he continued chewing on Metallicana's cage, "Ain't like you keep a lacrima in the nest old man." He retorted, "An' I can't exactly _fly_ out here ya know."

He shrugged, "My human nest wants to try an' do the impossible." He explained, "Somethin' they've got a pretty good track record of, so I agreed to help 'em out. Details will take a while to explain though."

"How about the gist then brat?" Metallicana asked, the remaining bars on Natsu and Lucy's cage lowering as he crossed his arms.

Gajeel grunted and met his father's eyes, "They wanna try an' win over Igneel."

Metallicana stared at them incredulously for several moments, obviously trying to wrap his head around _that_ idea, and his eyes narrowed, "Do you have a reason to think there's even a remote chance my brother will listen?"

Gajeel hesitated and then nodded, "Yeah. But that's part of those details I mentioned."

There was another long silence as Metallicana thought about that, during which the sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping alerted them they weren't nearly as alone as it looked. Though none of the other dragons showed themselves.

"Alright brat." Metallicana said at length, "I'll hear your details in private. If they're good enough I'll tell you how to get to Igneel's." He ran his eyes over the somewhat bedraggled group, "In the meantime, your human nestmates are welcome to stay and recover their strength." His lips twitched, "It looks like you've had a rather rough trip so far."

"You don't know the half of it." Lucy moaned, probably louder than she'd meant to, as she rubbed at her sore arms and aching back, "I may not move normally for a week!"

"Thank you," Levy also smiled at Metallicana, "We appreciate the offer. It's been a long journey to see you so far."

The dragon nodded, looking amused, "Think nothing of it. If Gajeel believes you have a chance to sway my brother to see reason, then there is no doubt an interesting story to hear. You'll be the first humans to have set foot on our island and nest here in over twenty years."

Lucy blinked at the interesting phrasing, but managed to collect herself for the moment. She was far too interested in getting some rest than chasing down the mysteries of an enigmatic dragon.

"Rogue," Metallicana called to the trees.

There was another rustle, and an even louder snapping of branches, like of something heavy shifting in the woods. But what emerged from the trees was a man around their age with his black hair tied in a pony tail.

He was quiet, but looked at Metallicana with silent questions.

"Please escort Gajeel's companions to the nest and get them comfortable, I'll speak with my son at the flying peak," Metallicana gestured for Gajeel to follow him.

Levy eyed her friend in worry, but Gajeel put a large hand on the top of her head and growled reassuringly, "I'll be back soon shrimp. Don't get stomped on until I get back."

Rogue caught Gajeel's eyes as he passed and smiled faintly, "It's good to see you again brother." He murmured before turning his attention to the three moaning humans and one... demon? That was surely an interesting tale.

He kept his curiosity to himself though. Now wasn't the time to ask questions. Instead he bowed lightly at the group, giving them a friendly look, "If you would come with me?" He asked, "I'll show you to the more human sized portions of our nest."

Gajeel grinned as Rogue's words faded on the breeze. Good. His brother would take care of them, and explain things to the others. Though it was very lucky this nest was so human friendly. The consequences otherwise would've been ugly.

"So what's your evidence?" Metallicana asked as they reached the summit of the flying peak. Gajeel picked out a rock and sat down.

"The pink haired runt is END." Gajeel stated flatly, "Goes by the name Natsu now though. It seems he ain't as dead to the world as we thought. More than that the blond's his new mistress. She ain't bad as humans go, an' her goal is to end the war."

Metallicana nodded slowly, "Lofty goals." He rumbled, "And possibly achievable ones with END on their side, but you know that's not going to make your uncle budge so much as a centimeter." He cocked his head, "So why did _you_ agree to this fool's errand?"

Gajeel's lips thinned, "Because the runt ain't just a demon." He replied grimly, still faintly nauseated at the way his facts had come together, "You might've noticed but he smells dragon. And he's a _fire_ eater."

He nodded at Metallicana's stunned expression, "Yeah. That's what I thought too at first. But it ain't just that. He's showin' dragon traits too. He eats his own body weight in fire damn near daily, he's motion sick on transportation, and he's startin' to hoard. Plus the evidence adds up."

"Draco's scales..." Metallicana breathed, "Igneel's firstborn hatchling was killed a little over four hundred years ago..."

"Yeah." Gajeel nodded, "And not long after END shows up. The strongest fire demon ever created."

"You think Natsu is-" Metallicana looked a little pale under his skin. It was almost as if his brain couldn't wrap itself fully around what Gajeel was saying.

Gajeel hunched his shoulders forward, his eyes distant with thought.

"I won't know for sure until we get to Igneel's nest pa, and I could be wrong," He finally looked up, "But I think Natsu is my cousin. I think he's Igneel's son."

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to all of our lovely reviewers! You guys are really the best, and we love you all dearly. Apologies for not listing the names out again, but I'm rushing a tad since it's nearly the 11th hour. Literally. Regardless, know that you rule, and enjoy your preview! :)_**

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 _Gajeel growled a little and settled down, the dragons shifting around him in clear support, "There's no such thing as dragonslayers." He told them, "Humans can't learn dragon magic. Dragonslaying is a term we created centuries back to explain what we were."_

 _Levy stared at him uncomprehending of what he was saying. She shifted her weight and peered at him, "What exactly are you then?"_

 _"Half dragon?" Natsu asked, cocking his head to Gajeel. He didn't seem particularly interested with the topic's thread as he bent around to see several dragons walking by with a tray of meat. He whined as he watched it go, but surprisingly didn't pounce for it, "That's why you smell so weird."_

 _"You ain't exactly a flower yourself," Gajeel growled back at Natsu, a little annoyed with the demon for being so casual about it. Not that he would actually understand anything about dragons._


	22. Dryad

Hey guys, Kytrin again! Lol I swear, at this rate when Mslead returns she'll have to put she's back in bold since you guys will be so used to me! No particular announcements currently, so you guys enjoy the chapter! :)

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 22**

 ** _Dryad_**

 _A dryad (/ˈdraɪ.æd/; Greek: Δρυάδες, sing.: Δρυάς) is a tree nymph, or tree spirit, in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies "oak." Thus, dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general._

* * *

Natsu yawned and stretched out, lifting his arms over his head. He was tired after a long day of motion sickness. His stomach churned and fluttered with odd thoughts still, but it wasn't a lingering effect of the boat ride to Tenrou Island.

He bit his bottom lip, his mind turning over the kiss he shared with his mistress over and over and over again.

He thought about it from every angle, remembering the soft press of her guiding lips against his. How she pulled and pushed until they ebbed together like waves lapping at the shore. Natsu could still feel the heat it sparked simmering happily away in his veins, like a creature that had been woken up and could no longer go back to sleep.

But Lucy didn't seem to react to it at all, so he kept his mouth shut. Even when Gajeel returned to them later on when night had fallen. It seemed his discussion with Metallicana had run late.

He joined them around a crackling firepit Natsu was tending to, poking at it to keep it burning happily.

Levy for her part looked extremely deep in thought, a frown on her face.

"Everything go well?" Lucy asked Gajeel when he rejoined them.

Gajeel nodded, "Igneel is currently nesting in the mountains of Old Fort, past Magnolia on the western side of Fiore."

"Old Fort is so far away!" Lucy gasped in shock, "It'll take us ages to get there!"

"Three months on foot," Gajeel shrugged, "We'll figure out a faster way when we get to that point."

"Until then-" Gajeel found himself being suddenly cut off when Levy looked up.

"Mountains," She said, her brows knitting together as she looked at Gajeel, "You always said Metallicana found you in the mountains."

Gajeel froze at Levy's words and he blinked dumbly at her, "Errrrr..."

Levy's frown turned into a glare that had one of their dragon hosts coughing and wheezing as he tried to smother his laughter.

"Shut it!" Gajeel snapped at the dragon, "It ain't funny!"

"Actually, it kind of is." Rogue contradicted with an amused smirk.

"Gajeel..." Levy warned with a decent imitation of a growl, her expression fierce, "What. Is. Going. On. Here?"

Gajeel grimaced and sighed, "Damn shrimp." He muttered, "Too smart for my own good."

He waved off the furious shouting she was surely about to unleash on him and met her gaze unflinchingly, "I want your word this don't leave the nest." He growled fiercely, "Not until I say the word. Not to _anyone_. Not even the rest of the guild. You all promise that here and now or you won't get an answer out of me."

Levy's eyes widened a bit at the ferocious statement, and she nodded a little numbly. She'd never seen Gajeel so serious about anything before, and he wasn't exactly free with most things.

Beside her Lucy nodded as well, "You have my word Gajeel."

Whatever this was it was clearly very serious for the dragonslayer, and she wouldn't break whatever fragile trust was between them by saying anything out of turn. It wasn't like she was a stranger to keeping secrets after all.

Gajeel growled a little and settled down, the dragons shifting around him in clear support, "There's no such thing as dragonslayers." He told them, "Humans can't learn dragon magic. Dragonslaying is a term we created centuries back to explain what we were."

Levy stared at him uncomprehending of what he was saying. She shifted her weight and peered at him, "What exactly are you then?"

"Half dragon?" Natsu asked, cocking his head to Gajeel. He didn't seem particularly interested with the topic's thread as he bent around to see several dragons walking by with a tray of meat. He whined as he watched it go, but surprisingly didn't pounce for it, "That's why you smell so weird."

"You ain't exactly a flower yourself," Gajeel growled back at Natsu, a little annoyed with the demon for being so casual about it. Not that he would actually understand anything about dragons.

"After Igneel withdrew, dragons cut off relationships with humans. It wasn't looked upon kindly, and the dragons had recently had a civil war of their own about living with the humans in peace," Gajeel frowned, "Igneel didn't want the destruction of the humans and won the war, but his love for humans ends there."

"But my father fell in love with a mortal woman, so to prevent putting Igneel in a tough situation, he kept the relationship a secret and left the nest to start one of his own. He's a drake in his own right, so it wasn't a problem for him to lead," Gajeel murmured, "To protect me from other dragons who may have had a grudge against my father for his relationship with my mother, Metallicana told everyone I was adopted."

"And it's been your story ever since?" Levy asked quietly. Her eyes were filled with sadness over having to keep something like that a secret.

Gajeel just shrugged.

"I know the truth, that's enough for me," He murmured.

Levy shook her head, and reached out to grasp his hand, "I'm sorry." She murmured, feeling guilty about having cornered him like that, "I just… When your story didn't add up…"

Gajeel snorted at her, "Don't start bawwin' shrimp." He grunted, "I just wasn't expectin' it is all." He shrugged, "As long as you don't go spreading it around it's fine."

"Would it really be that much of a problem?" Lucy asked, "I mean, I know dragons don't generally like humans, and they've refused to get involved in this war so far, but…"

Gajeel scowled, "It would." He growled, "Igneel's got a lot of reasons to hate humans. Especially after fightin' so hard to live in peace with them. Safer to call me a dragonslayer and not invite trouble. Would ya quit whinin' at the meat Salamander?!" He snapped at the demon, "You'll get it soon enough!"

"What he said!" Lucy huffed, "They're going out of their way to be nice to us and help us out when they _could_ just kick us off the island and back onto the boat! We could show some manners and gratitude for it."

"But Luuuuucy!" Natsu whined, "I'm hungry!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Is there a time when you're _not_ hungry Natsu?"

Natsu grumbled, but settled down to pout at the earth. He sprawled sideways against Lucy, but gave Gajeel a beady glare.

"Now whatcha lookin' at?" Gajeel grunted at Natsu, his eyes narrowing on the sullen demon.

His eyes glowed in the firelight, but watched Gajeel with a closed off expression he was beginning to suspect had nothing to do with him being denied food.

"What?" Gajeel demanded, a touch of impatience coloring his voice.

"You called me Salamander," Natsu said, his eyebrows slanting down. His mouth pinched together and even the tips of his tapered ears wiggled in thought.

"My name is Natsu now, not a weird lizard," He growled in confusion.

"You making fun of me metal mouth?" Natsu's shoulders hunched aggressively.

"Not like that would be hard to do," Gajeel snorted. He tossed his head and reclined down next to Levy.

"But not in this case, I just thought it fit," He continued, dragging his attention to the silent script Mage by his side.

Levy smiled back at him as Metallicana re-appeared and grabbed a slab of meat, which was apparently the signal for the other dragons to dig in as it started a general feeding frenzy.

"Here." Rogue murmured, offering Lucy a platter of various roasted vegetables and meat still soaking in the juices, "Most of us prefer roasted or raw meat only, so I'm afraid there's not much variety in our cooking."

"No, this is wonderful!" Lucy gushed, "Thank you!"

And truly it was. Whoever had done the cooking had gotten the idea of a roast beef perfect. She might not care to eat it for every meal for very long, but it was certainly the most filling thing she'd had all day since she spent most of 'breakfast' kissing Natsu.

The thought made her cheeks heat, making her thankful that it was now dark out, and it could easily be passed off as firelight. She hoped.

She tried not to think about it. The last thing she wanted was to start reliving that kiss in a room with a bunch of hypersensitive dragons. There was no telling what kind of embarrassing stuff they would pick up from her!

Unfortunately, her determination made her think about it even more.

She hadn't been as into it as she would've liked because of the circumstances, but now... oh _now_ she was thinking about it. The way Natsu's lips had tasted, and the way his hands had gently caressed her back and sides... no. She was not going to think about this now.

Or ever.

It was wrong, and there was no getting around that. Natsu didn't even understand the concept of wants much less free will. She couldn't take advantage of him. Heck, she couldn't even be sure he was really interested.

So she shoved the thought firmly to the back of her mind and turned her attention to Rogue, "So... have you ever been off the island?"

His expression seemed to grow distant over the question and Lucy swallowed, wondering if she had stuck her foot in her mouth. However the way his mouth pulled down at the corners made her think he was sinking into his thoughts.

"Yes," he replied in a way that was far too simple for the weight behind his words.

"I've seen it all," Rogue murmured, his eyes flashing over to Metallicana.

The way his mouth closed made Lucy realize she wasn't getting any other information out of him. She supposed all dragons kept their secrets.

Metallicana caught Rogue's eye, even as Lucy frowned over what was a clear run around.

Natsu pressed his weight against her side, a distracting warmth.

"What's the matter?" He asked. In his very tactile way, he dipped his chin down against her shoulder.

Lucy felt his weight and the comforting brush of his nose against her skin. She smiled affectionately at the feel of him, allowing it to chase away the shadows cast by Rogue's cryptic response.

Lucy pressed a hand into Natsu's wild mane of hair. He made a soft noise in the back of his throat, almost feline in nature. It was like a mix between a growl and a purr.

He shifted a little, his arms dropping around either side of her. He rolled his head against the curve of her neck and she smiled.

"I suppose nothing," Lucy hummed, but turned towards Natsu, her lips skimming against his pointed ear. She breathed quietly into his ear, her doubts bubbling easily to the surface. They were coaxed out easily by him, but she had no intention of letting dragons eavesdrop.

"I think the dragons here know how bad the rest of the world is," Lucy breathed into his ear.

Natsu stiffened against her, his own breath catching at the feel of her lips against the sensitive skin of his ear.

Lucy pulled back a little and gave him an inquisitive look, silently asking if something was wrong. Natsu smiled and shook his head a little. He didn't want to worry her any more than he wanted to let her know how she'd affected him. It was a warm, shivery, sensation that had nothing to do with his fire, and it left him tingling all over.

Thankfully, Lucy accepted his response and turned back to her dinner. Though he was ridiculously pleased that she stayed cuddled up to his side. He knew it was mostly because she was a heat vampire when it wasn't super hot outside, but it still pleased him.

He was glad when dinner was over though. The dragons hadn't stinted them on food, but the conversation had been... lacking.

Except for Gajeel catching his nest up on his adventures, and the odd comment Metallicana made in an effort to include the rest of them, no one had really talked much. The dragons didn't seem interested, and after Lucy's failed attempt at starting a conversation with Rogue neither she nor Levy had seemed to care to try again. It was awkward all the way around and he didn't blame Lucy in the least for jumping all over the idea of retiring for the night.

"Thank you Rogue." Lucy told the dark dragon as he led them to their door.

He nodded curtly, and turned to go before pausing, "I have to apologize for the lack of warmth you and your friends received." He told them, "Believe me when I say that we appreciate the effort you're going through to try and end this war, but I'm afraid none of us really believe it will happen."

"We will find a way." Lucy half growled, "Even if Igneel and dragonkind refuse to help us, we _will_ find a way."

Rogue cocked his head slightly, "Forgive me, but _why_ do you even consider that a remote possibility? Humanity hasn't been able to stop the demons in four hundred years."

Lucy smirked back at him, "Maybe not, but it's been four hundred years and we're not dead yet. That's reason enough to fight, and reason enough to hope that a solution will be found. Even if it's not this one."

Lucy nodded at the stunned looking dragon, and turned to head inside the room they'd set aside for her and Natsu with all the superior dignity she could muster.

Once she was inside, Lucy put her hand over her chest and breathed deeply. She was hardly able to believe she had dared to talk to a dragon like that, and in truth it made her extremely nervous.

Still, her runaway mouth seemed to have come out on top this time, so she relaxed.

"I think you shocked him into the next century Lucy," Natsu purred, his eyes falling over their room.

She could see an odd glint to his eyes, almost like an appreciation to the thick tapestries and lush pillows piled in a corner of the room. There was no bed, but plenty of blankets and cushions.

She imagined for dragons, they didn't need something like beds with their hardy bodies. But it still looked very comfortable.

Natsu made to slither into the cushions, but was caught by the back of his vest by Lucy's quick hand.

"Oh no you don't! Take a bath, you're filthy!" Lucy ordered, causing a tired whine to erupt from Natsu before he reluctantly headed towards the bathing chambers joined to their room.

Unlike the demon's with their public bathing, it seemed dragons valued their privacy.

Lucy touched an expensive looking pillow.

And they clearly liked their riches.

She shook her head a little at the irony. She'd gone out of her way to eschew the trappings of wealth in most areas of her life, and here she was about to sleep on something every bit as fine and expensive as the beds she slept on as a child.

There had to be a god somewhere snickering about that.

She pulled her hand back and wandered over to one of the bookcases on a far wall, pleased that it was there and gave her something to do while she waited on Natsu. _She_ wasn't exactly smelling pretty either after a hard day of rowing in the hot sun. It was a miracle the dragons hadn't started pointedly standing downwind now that she thought about it.

Maybe things smelled differently to them?

She wasn't sure, but overall she didn't really care. What mattered was that now that she was thinking about it she was starting to itch really badly for a bath. Just what was taking Natsu so long anyway?

She pouted a little and told herself to be reasonable. It hadn't been that long. He was probably only halfway through his bath at best.

At least the books were interesting. They weren't any definitive dragon histories or anything like that, but she could tell many of them were old and some were relatively rare. Of course, it wasn't likely they would put the really good stuff in a guest room, but there were definitely a few in here she would like to read if she got the chance.

Too bad it wasn't likely she would.

She ran her finger down the spines, tempted to take one down to investigate it's pages.

It didn't take long for her to succumb to the impulse. She grabbed an interesting one written in a print she could understand and sat down.

There Natsu found her when he emerged from his bath. Her shoulders hunched over and a book laying open on her thighs.

"Find something-..." Natsu looked thoughtful, groping around for the occasional word that threw him off.

"...Historic?" He finished, his smile widening with pride.

"You could say that," Lucy smiled, "It's a book of handwritten Fairy Tales."

"Really?" Natsu asked enthusiastically as he dropped down next to her, "Will you read some aloud?"

Lucy hesitated and rolled a stiff shoulder, "I don't know Natsu. My back really hurts from all that paddling and I still have to take a bath myself."

Of course she was immediately faced with the most watery, puppy eyes ever seen on a demon's face. Natsu held his hands together, lifting himself up on his knees as he bowed his head forward, "Please Lucy? I still struggle with reading and you tell stories so good!"

He nudged in closer, his forehead knocking lightly into hers, "What if I give you a massage after your bath?" He bribed.

Lucy blinked at him, completely flabbergasted at both the eyes and the bribe, before giggling softly, "Could those eyes get any bigger?" She asked, and shot him an amused look, "Alright, alright... I'll do one at least. No promises on more though."

Natsu grinned brightly and pulled back to help her to her feet, "Thanks Lucy! You're the best!"

Lucy smiled a bit in pleasure and handed him the book, "I didn't even know you _could_ do a massage?"

Natsu shrugged, "I've never done one before, but I know how. It's part of my magic. I just know whatever I need to whenever you need me to know it." He grinned at her, "You've been nursing those muscles since we got here! That was plenty of time for me to learn how to give you a massage!"

Lucy wasn't sure if she was more stunned or impressed by that revelation. Natsu simply absorbed knowledge magically if she had a need for him to know it? It sounded ridiculous and impossible, but somehow it didn't entirely surprise her anymore. Though she was pretty sure massage hadn't been what Zeref had in mind when he programmed Natsu.

Still, she wasn't going to turn it down. Not after the day she'd had!

"Well I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that!" She replied, "But I definitely won't turn you down! It's been ages since I had even a passable massage let alone a good one!"

She grinned as she turned and made her way into the bathroom, more eager than ever to get clean. She just hoped she didn't fall asleep while he was working on her. She would hate to cheat him out of his story.

So she decided to hurry through her bath time routine. She soaked in the bath just long enough for the exhaustion of the day melt from her.

Still, by the time she returned, Natsu was practically vibrating with impatience. She could see the way his sharp eyes were squinting at her and the pull of his eyebrows.

"Come on Lucy," He whined, sprawling out sideways on the cushions and holding out an arm to her.

Rolling her eyes, she walked over much more sedately and sank down to her knees.

Her hips were cushioned by the mounds of pillows and Natsu shuffled in behind her. She was still wearing one of the outfits provided her by the Galuna Island tribe, which allowed her to expose her back and not have to lose her shirt.

A good thing, she realized, because Natsu was sweeping her hair over her shoulder to expose it.

"Alright Lucy, lay forward," He pointed at the book in front of them, "I picked out a story, so just relax while I work."

Lucy obediently sprawled forward on her stomach, her forearms resting under her chin, "'The Midnight Visitor'? Sounds like a dark story."

Lucy could feel him shrug behind her, and nearly gasped as slick, hot hands gently touched down against her back.

"I liked the dragons on the cover of it," Natsu admitted.

"Fair enough." Lucy replied, gasping softly as he began working on a particularly large knot and settled further into the pillows, "Oh man... I could get used to this." She grinned at him over her shoulder, "Careful Natsu, you might spoil me."

Natsu grinned toothily in reply. He knew she didn't like thinking of him as subservient to her, even though he was, so he made no comment as she turned back to the book.

"Alright... Once upon a time..."

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 _"Oh no..." Lucy breathed horror, her eyes wide as she stared at the page. Even if this was just a story, it was heartbreaking to imagine such a thing. Was this how dragons warned their children of the dangers of humans?_

 _If it was, she couldn't entirely fault them. Humans **were** every bit as deceitful and treacherous as the one portrayed here. Of course, that wasn't all they were, and she really hoped there were some stories that reflected that. Though at the moment she wasn't feeling any of the positive. She was too wracked with guilt over what the fictional human had done._

 _"That's terrible." Natsu murmured from where he was curled up next to her. She hadn't even noticed when he'd finished his massage she'd been so caught up._

 _"I wish it were untrue." Lucy murmured, "But some humans really are like that."_

 _"You aren't." Natsu replied firmly and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, giving her a slight squeeze, "You're the nicest human to ever live."_

 _Lucy blushed, "I don't know about **that** exactly..."_

 _"You are." He insisted, "Anyone else would've made me a weapon and that would've been the end of it." He smiled and nuzzled her softly, "Instead you're my friend, and you treat me like a person and not a thing. That makes you the best ever._ "


	23. Wizard

_Heya guys! I've heard from Mslead, and she says things are starting to calm down, so she'll be able to post the new Sandcastles chapter tomorrow. So yay for her coming back! Other than that, not much to say except enjoy all the juicy tidbits in this chapter! :D_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 23**

 _Wizard_

 _Witches and wizards are people thought to possess magical powers or to command_ _ **supernatural**_ _forces. They appear in the myths and folktales of many cultures. The word witch usually refers to a female, though male witches exist in some traditions. Men who possess the powers associated with witchcraft are often known as wizards or warlocks._

* * *

 _Once upon a time there was a mighty fire drake._

 _Born into an era when dragons ruled all, the young drake proved as mercurial and inquisitive as his element. He wondered what lands were beyond his nest, and what kind of people might be in them. He often spent weeks exploring the borders of his nest and lands. However, his parents did not understand his curiosity._

 _"What could a land beyond our borders offer that we do not possess within the nest?" They asked, "Here there is food, shelter, comfort, and many of the young queens vie for your attention. What more is there?"_

 _His brother, however, nodded his understanding of the young drake's plight, "You should go and see for yourself." He counseled, "The world is larger than our own nest, and surely there must be some incredible sights to be seen out there! Besides, what harm can befall you out there?" He laughed, "You're a drake brother! There's no magic that can pierce your hide and bring you more than passing harm!"_

 _The young drake agreed, and upon his coming of age declared that he would travel the world, seeing the wonders within it, before settling down to build his own nest."_

 _And so he traveled, coming along many races and kinds of people. Among those, he found the humans a clever race with compassion, ingenuity, and kindness._

 _But the dragon king did not like the humans, and wished only to destroy them. The fire drake, ever curious, did not understand why this had to be._

 _He believed that the humans could live in peace with the dragons. So as he grew in strength and wisdom, he challenged their King for the right to rule._

 _He was victorious in his challenge, even as the old king left bitter warnings in his ears. Warnings of the deceitful nature of the humans that each went ignored._

 _The new King found himself a Queen, and settled down in the nest he always wished for. His brother joined him, as did many others. Under his rule, their nest came to be known throughout the land as the most powerful._

 _In time, the Queen confided in her love the joyous news that their very first clutch was on the way. The news overjoyed the King and his proud roaring could be heard for days afterward as the nest celebrated._

 _Many waited with baited breath as the first eggs of the royal line were laid, and it wasn't long before the news got out that the Queen had clutched two eggs. The first of the line were twins! A good omen for a strong and healthy nest, it laid to rest most of the doubts the King's detractors had._

 _The years passed as the loving parents tended their clutch with devotion, for dragon eggs are quick to be laid but slow to hatch. Such is the fate of those granted a lifespan of millennia. And much can change in that time._

 _For while the devoted parents were focused so inwardly on their growing family, they missed the signs that a darkness was spreading in the human world beyond their immediate borders. At any other time the King would have noticed the signs and taken action, but with the nest's attention turned inwards in anticipation of their new arrivals the signs were missed, and when the darkness struck it took the dragons wholly unaware._

 _A man came to the nest one day, weak and very close to death. He fell to the ground before the dragons, fragile and broken. What had happened to him, no one knew._

 _But the King, ever fair and just, brought the man into their nest so his injuries could be tended. Slowly, and under the Queen's careful attentions, the human began to recover. They befriended him, and became fascinated with the stories he had to tell._

 _Only the king's brother remained suspicious, seeing the greed in the man's eyes where others could not._

 _But his warnings fell to deaf ears, as the King welcomed their new friend with his delightful stories and celebrated the hatching of one of his firstborn, who was only days from piercing his shell._

 _The man, freshly healed, soon wished his new friends farewell and departed with good will._

 _But when he returned, good will was not what he brought._

 _In thanks for the Dragons saving his life, the man returned with an army. A legion of men to throw at the dragons._

 _The battle was one sided, and the losses the humans sustained were heavy beyond measure. The humans were barely able to even mount an assault before they were crushed._

 _Victory was not the purpose of the fight though, for when the smoke cleared, part of the King's most valuable treasure had been stolen. His ready to hatch son._

"Oh no..." Lucy breathed horror, her eyes wide as she stared at the page. Even if this was just a story, it was heartbreaking to imagine such a thing. Was this how dragons warned their children of the dangers of humans?

If it was, she couldn't entirely fault them. Humans _were_ every bit as deceitful and treacherous as the one portrayed here. Of course, that wasn't all they were, and she really hoped there were some stories that reflected that. Though at the moment she wasn't feeling any of the positive. She was too wracked with guilt over what the fictional human had done.

"That's terrible." Natsu murmured from where he was curled up next to her. She hadn't even noticed when he'd finished his massage she'd been so caught up.

"I wish it were untrue." Lucy murmured, "But some humans really are like that."

"You aren't." Natsu replied firmly and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, giving her a slight squeeze, "You're the nicest human to ever live."

Lucy blushed, "I don't know about _that_ exactly..."

"You are." He insisted, "Anyone else would've made me a weapon and that would've been the end of it." He smiled and nuzzled her softly, "Instead you're my friend, and you treat me like a person and not a thing. That makes you the best ever."

"Thanks Natsu." Lucy smiled, a warm shiver working its way down her spine from where he'd nuzzled her. Somehow, that was more intimate than their adrenaline charged performance kiss had been that morning.

Maybe it was because he was doing it of his own free will in a place no one would see them?

Whatever the reason she liked it a lot.

"So what happens next?" Natsu asked, pulling her out of her thoughts and back to the book.

Lucy hesitated and curled up next to him, getting comfortable to read him the ending, "The king built up mighty walls and pulled away from humanity forever. His nest disappeared, never to be seen again."

She closed the book and met Natsu's eyes. He slid it from her grasp and tucked it away on top of his pack, returning his gaze to her.

"Don't look so sad," Natsu whined to her, edging in closer and pressing his forehead against hers.

"But Natsu, am I really all that different than the people who would use you as a weapon?" Lucy asked finally, her knees tucking up to her chest. His palm rested against one of them and he smiled at her.

"Maybe not at first, but you were always willing to be kind to me. Even if you just saw me as a thing," Natsu said without a shred of deception, "And maybe you're still hoping I can make the difference in your war. But Lucy, you aren't commanding me. I'm doing this of my own free will," His eyes shadowed and he took her hand.

"In truth I'm not really sure how I play into things. I'm not even sure what I am," He smiled for her in a way that made her heart lift, "But you're helping me make sense of it. I couldn't ask for a better friend, and I love you for it."

He frowned and opened his mouth before she could ask him the obvious question, "And yeah, I know what _love_ is. With you as my mistress, it was the first thing I learned."

The simple way he said that made Lucy's heart stagger. She was certain he didn't mean it the way he said it. He had proclaimed it much too innocently for it to have a deeper meaning, but it still rattled her just the same.

She smiled back at him, her heart pounding in her chest at the look he was giving her, and for a fleeting moment she wished he had meant it another way. She shook the thought off as ridiculous, and opened her mouth to thank him, but it seemed her mouth was determined to say what her heart felt tonight. Because what came out was not what she'd expected.

"I love you too Natsu!" She blurted, and then blushed, "Ah, I mean..."

Natsu burst into laughter at the look on her face and wrapped his arms around her to pull her to his chest before she could get too huffy, "You're weird Lucy." He rumbled affectionately and kissed the top of her head, "It's one of the reasons I love you."

Lucy felt her blush deepen, but didn't resist as he pulled a blanket over them and they settled down. He was warm and his arms felt nice and she was starting to realize just how tired she was. The struggle just wasn't worth the effort.

"Good night Natsu." She murmured around a jaw cracking yawn.

"Good night Lucy." Natsu purred into her ear.

Neither was aware of the shadow that had been discreetly monitoring the whole scene, and neither noticed as it flitted off. They certainly weren't aware of the moment it entered a room where Gajeel and Metallicana were waiting and reformed into Rogue.

"So..." Metallicana rumbled, "How did it go?"

"They read it," Rogue reported, sinking down onto a cushion, "Your spell worked, she picked it right off the shelf. He picked out the story though."

"Is that so?" Metallicana leaned down in some thought, his eyes darkening with what this could mean.

"Yeah, and they were both pretty upset by it," Rogue frowned, "Lucy more than Natsu."

"Well yeah, Lucy is the one that has both the heart and the brains between them," Gajeel grunted, but didn't look surprised.

Rogue looked thoughtful, but the way Natsu had comforted his mistress rose to the surface, "For a golem, Natsu has plenty of heart too. I wonder if he gets it from her?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Gajeel snorted out a strange little laugh, "You saw the way she talked to you!"

"That girl has the spirit of a dragon in her, that's for sure," Metallicana hummed.

"I've made my decision Gajeel. You'll get your route to Igneel's nest, I'll provide you with a token should something go wrong, the dragons there won't kill your friends on sight." Metallicana grunted.

"I will send Rogue to Magnolia as an advance to let your team in the city know what's happening here," Metallicana shot him a warning look, " _Discreetly_."

Rogue shot his drake a slightly affronted look, but bowed his head in compliance, "As you command Metallicana." He looked at Gajeel, "I will need to know whom I should contact and how to reach them before you leave."

Gajeel nodded, "Easily done." He agreed, "I plan to stay for a day or two anyway. The girls wore themselves out paddling from Galuna Island to this place, and I wanna give them a chance to rest up."

"Particularly the hatchling." Metallicana rumbled understandingly only to eye his son in confusion when Gajeel laughed again.

"That hatchlin's nearly a fledgling pops." He replied, "And she's probably been fine since she caught her breath. Little brat's a sky godslayer." He smirked, "I'd love to introduce her to my cousin sometime."

Metallicana blinked and burst into his own laughter, "Now that's something I would enjoy seeing as well! Those two would probably get along like fire and smoke."

Rogue watched the interaction with a small, pleased, smile. It had been difficult for Metallicana since Gajeel had left the nest to explore the larger world, and he was happy father and son had a chance to catch up and renew their bond. As the two talked and bickered happily, he discreetly got up and slipped out. He was certain both had seen his departure, but he wasn't worried about that. He simply wanted to give them time alone.

And he needed to do some thinking himself.

It had been a long time since his views had been challenged, even in a somewhat backhanded way, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Granted, Lucy hadn't actually denied any of his statements, but her one simple comment about how humanity had managed to survive four hundred years despite the demons at their throats had completely brought him up short.

Maybe it was time he did a little re-evaluation of his opinions of her people.

-::-

Gajeel laughed with his father as Rogue left, finally feeling like he was able to relax and be at peace for the first time since he left his home.

While it was true Fairy Tail was a place he was welcome, there was still the fact he had to keep his secrets from them.

Among dragons there wasn't any need to hide, and he was grateful he was able to share a few of his secrets with Levy and the others. Sometimes, some secrets bore their heavy weight down on them.

It was hard to be under that constant burden, and his father seemed to understand that. Because as soon as the laughter died down, Metallicana reached across them to thump Gajeel on the back.

"So," he rumbled in a way that made apprehension trickle down Gajeel's spine.

"The small one you seem so fond of, do you intend on courting her as your queen?" Metallicana snorted, "or do you plan on simply luring her in one day with that vile look in your eyes?"

"Ain't _nothin'_ wrong with my eyes old man," Gajeel growled.

Metallicana just gave him a pointed look and Gajeel growled to himself, "Nothin' can happen with the shrimp okay?" He grumbled irritably, hating to even think about it let alone talk about it, "I ain't gonna let what happened to..."

He trailed off and scowled darkly into the fire as if it would hold all his answers.

Metallicana was silent for a long moment as he regarded his tense son, "You're afraid of what happened to your mother happening to her if you let yourself love her." He murmured, and sighed as Gajeel's shoulders tightened even more, "Gajeel... what happened to your mother was tragic, but it won't happen to little blue."

Gajeel looked up at him in angry surprise, "How do you know that?" He demanded hotly, "She died because of me! Because I was a drake! How do I know the same won't happen to Levy huh?"

Metallicana reached over and thumped his angry son on the head, "Your mother didn't die because of you brat." He reprimanded firmly, "So you get that thought out of your head right now. She died because of complications when you were born yes, but they weren't your fault, and she fought like the dragoness she was inside to make sure you came into this world. Never forget that."

He shook his head, "It was the thing I loved most about her. How stubborn she was. And she was determined that the child _we_ had created would live and grow and find love." He met Gajeel's eyes fiercely, "Never, for a moment, doubt how much she loved you. She was a queen who gave her all for you, and no matter how much I miss her I will always be proud of her for the way she fought for our greatest treasure."

Gajeel stared at his father in shock. Metallicana wasn't often one to wax poetic on his feelings. Especially where his mother was concerned. But this was evidently important enough to prompt the old drake to speak from the heart.

He swallowed thickly, and nodded, his usual smart comments about things getting mushy dying on his tongue before they ever left his throat.

"If this woman has stopped you in your tracks, then she is one who needs to be held onto," Metallicana's lips began to twist into something more wry, "Don't let fear stop you from experiencing one of life's greatest joys."

"You will not regret it Gajeel, I promise you that for certain," Metallicana promised.

Gajeel grunted and looked down. He was never so overt with his feelings. Especially when they came to Levy, but even though he kept her at arms length, he always found himself drawing closer to her. He sometimes even made up excuses as to why he would accompany her. And he knew when she had attempted to continue her mission in the council, he hadn't been trying to stop her only because he thought it was dangerous.

He liked being able to keep an eye on her back. And he couldn't do that if he wasn't partnered up with her.

"Alright pops, you win," He grumbled, "Not that it's any of your business."

Metallicana barked out a laugh, "It's always my business when something involves my boy! Now that's enough yappin' for tonight. You're just as beat as your lady friends with all that sea sickness you were probably staving off."

He jerked his chin towards the door, "Why don't you get some shut eye with your little blue one, huh?"

Gajeel growled something uncomplimentary under his breath, but got up anyway to reluctantly obey his father. He had to admit, he was definitely very tired. There was no way he would have been able to stay up for an extended period of time after a day like the one they had. Lucy and Natsu were already long since asleep, and Chelia had crashed shortly after dinner.

"Alright then," he stretched out and flashed his father a fangy smirk, "See you in the morning then pops."

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to all of our reviewers! You guys rocked out, as always, and have more than earned your sneak peek! So please enjoy that! Love you all!**_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWERS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _He canted his head a little as he eyed her, "I'm more worried about you. You damn near paddled your arms off tryin' to make it here in one day."_

 _Levy's expression brightened, "Ah! Chelia was able to help me out with that." She explained, "A hot soak and some of her healing helped clear it up, but she fell asleep right after, so I think she might've overdone it a bit after spending all day keeping her own strength up."_

 _Gajeel's expression cleared and his lips twitched upwards, "Handy hatchlin' to have around. Wonder if she'll be interested in stickin' around for the rest of the trip."_

 _Levy laughed a little and shrugged, "I have no idea, but we should definitely ask. At this rate we'll really need her."_

 _Gajeel nodded and felt his heart speed up as he looked at her. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was? It never failed to amaze him that so much strength, sass, and intelligence could be wrapped up in such a tiny, seemingly frail, frame._

 _She was more than worthy to be a queen, and there was no one else he wanted at his side._

 _Maybe he should take his father's advice._


	24. Sprites

Hey guys it's Mslead!

I have to hustle and finish writing this! Sorry guys notes on the bottom!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 24**

 ** _Sprites_**

 _Considered to be the most common type of faerie, they are known to live in deep woods. Some make their homes high in the branches of trees while others prefer to live near ponds and streams. They particularly love to live in the forests inhabited by treefolk and other fey and enjoy cool weather and a calm, serene environment._

* * *

Gajeel wandered back towards his private lair, debating if he should go by the guest lair Chelia and Levy were sharing. Given how few visitors they had to the nest it had been necessary for them to double up a little. However, he didn't want to disturb them if they were already asleep. He knew from experience that a badly awoken Levy tended to fling fire or lightning at whoever had disturbed her sleep.

The lightning in particular was fairly painful.

However, he quickly found out that Levy wasn't in her room at all.

He supposed, in retrospect, he shouldn't have been surprised. It _was_ the communal library after all, and Levy was considerate enough not to keep a light on and disturb her roommate.

Her blue head was easily visible from the door, and he couldn't help smirking fondly at the sight of her pouring over one of the tomes his father had collected over the centuries. She was a center of peace and warmth in the otherwise cold library.

He sometimes wondered if she was part dragon herself with her instinct to hoard books.

"Find somethin' interesting shrimp?" He rumbled in amusement as he pushed away from the door frame and headed over to join her.

His father's words were still fresh in his head as he dropped down in front of her.

She held a book that was twice the size of herself on her lap. Lips were curled up at the corners and her expression was relaxed. At his approach however, she carefully marked her page and pulled her attention to him.

"You could say that," Levy smiled and tapped the brim of her reading glasses, "I wish I had enough time to read through everything here. The dragons have such an incredible collection, but these are more books than even I could find. Freed would be so jealous right now."

Gajeel supposed the other script mage would be jealous if he found out Levy was in the midst of ancient volumes of magical knowledge that dragons had kept hoarded away. It was quite the achievement to say the least.

Especially since Levy was the first human to even touch such things since his own mother.

The reminder of his mother had his stomach twisting again, and he carefully leaned forward on the table, his fist curling up under his chin.

"Guess so, hope you rub it in his face," He smirked instead, pleased to see her roll her eyes in a bit of exasperation.

"That's just mean!" Levy laughed and put the book down on the table. She tilted her head at him instead, "I thought you would be asleep by now. You really weren't looking good earlier today when we landed. Are you sure you should be up right now?"

Gajeel snorted in amusement as he shifted to sit down next to her, for once not worried about the couch not being able to withstand his weight, "I'm fine." He replied, "Pops' metal cleared most of that up, an' dinner did the rest."

He canted his head a little as he eyed her, "I'm more worried about you. You damn near paddled your arms off tryin' to make it here in one day."

Levy's expression brightened, "Ah! Chelia was able to help me out with that." She explained, "A hot soak and some of her healing helped clear it up, but she fell asleep right after, so I think she might've overdone it a bit after spending all day keeping her own strength up."

Gajeel's expression cleared and his lips twitched upwards, "Handy hatchlin' to have around. Wonder if she'll be interested in stickin' around for the rest of the trip."

Levy laughed a little and shrugged, "I have no idea, but we should definitely ask. At this rate we'll really need her."

Gajeel nodded and felt his heart speed up as he looked at her. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was? It never failed to amaze him that so much strength, sass, and intelligence could be wrapped up in such a tiny, seemingly frail, frame.

She was more than worthy to be a queen, and there was no one else he wanted at his side.

Maybe he should take his father's advice.

"So... what're you reading?" He asked softly as he took advantage of his height to curl around her a little and look over her shoulder.

Levy started a bit in surprise. Was he actually interested?

Gajeel had made his respect for her intellect clear, but not once had he ever asked her about what she was reading. Not once had he ever expressed any curiosity. Was it because he'd been holding back because of his secret? Whatever it was, she was going to seize it with both hands and hope it wasn't a one time thing.

"It's actually an adventure story." She laughed brightly, willing him to know by her smile just how happy she was he'd asked, "It's about a merchant prince that discovered a darkness in the heart of his city."

Gajeel's expression cleared and he grinned toothily, "I remember that one. It's one of my favorites."

"Is it?" Levy looked up at him eagerly, her eyes lighting up in surprise he had read it. She leaned forward towards him, settling back against his strong arm to shift the book in his direction.

"I never took you much for the reading type. You don't do much at the guild," Levy observed shyly, her eyes flicking to his.

Gajeel just smirked and he tugged the book towards his body with one hand, cracking it open with a well placed thumb against the spine.

"I know enough to be dangerous," Gajeel rolled a shoulder, "Besides, when I lived at the nest, all I did besides fighting and brawlin' with the other dragons was read."

"At the guild, my job ain't to read. It's to fight and plan a war," He murmured, but settled himself in behind Levy enough he could drop his chin over her head. He craned forward an arm circling around her waist.

His fingertips brushed against the brittle page and Levy squirmed at his proximity, a blush painting her cheeks.

"I forgot how much I missed this place," Gajeel grunted, "Does good to quiet the mind."

Levy swallowed, and summoned up a shred of courage to twist around to him. Her knees bumped against his thigh, but he didn't budge, merely turning his attention to her.

"You know when we get back to Magnolia, you don't have to stay in the thick of it all the time," Levy was proud over how she somehow managed to speak without stammering, "My library isn't as vast as this one, but it's quiet and you're always welcome."

Gajeel's eyes widened a little in surprise, "You'd let me into your private hoard?" He asked, a hint of awe in his voice.

It suddenly dawned on Levy what her book collection must look like to him. And really he wasn't far off. She did hoard books like a dragon. She hadn't really thought about it like that before, but she could see how he would interpret it that way.

"Of course." She smiled, "I'd love the company."

Gajeel eyed her intently for a long moment before chuckling softly, "You're somethin' else." He rumbled with such affection her heart started doing little backflips in her chest, "I'll take you up on that." He smirked, "Might even let you see my hoard."

"I'd really like that." Levy replied sincerely as they settled back in to read together.

Hours passed as they sat curled up together, the occasional comment passing between them, until Levy's eyes were starting to burn as she tried to keep them open. She wasn't just interested in what happened next, she truly did not want her evening with Gajeel to end. It was easily the sweetest moment she'd had with him, and she hated the idea of it being over.

Eventually, however, Gajeel gently plucked the book from her unresisting hands and closed it as he scooped her up into his arms, "Time for bed shrimp." He rumbled softly around her soft noises of protest, "We can finish tomorrow."

"Wha- Gajeel, I can walk," Levy protested feebly, but seemed to melt around the band of his arm anyway. Her head dropped onto his shoulder, her eyes falling partially closed.

"Shrimp I'm not even sure you can stand up," Gajeel smothered a wide yawn himself and marked their place. He dropped the book carefully on Levy, whose free arm curled around it.

Protective as always over her books of course.

He smiled as Levy mumbled something into his neck, and he was able to see her glassy brown eyes slide a little further closed. She wasn't even trying to put up a fight anymore.

Knowing Chelia would be still sound asleep, Gajeel diverted the direction he was going and made his way back to his quarters. The cushions were wide and far enough they could have their privacy, and it wasn't like they hadn't been sharing inns and other places lately.

He was beat too. After all the talks with his father and the subtle information gathering with Natsu, relaxing with Levy was just what he needed. However now, he was barely able to stand up straight himself.

He only managed to blow out the candles and settle Levy down for the night before face planting in a pillow himself.

-::-

Levy shifted slightly as consciousness slowly started to seep into her. She normally tended to wake up all at once, her mind already starting to buzz with thoughts for the day, but this time was different. She was snuggled up in a warm cocoon of blankets and the most comfortable pillows she'd ever encountered, and the light wasn't shining in her face.

It made her want to stay snuggled up right where she was. And why not? Gajeel had mentioned they would head out after a day or two of rest and preparation. Whatever preparation meant to dragons. She was perfectly justified in sleeping in a little.

It wasn't like Chelia was likely to care anyw-

Her thought came to a screeching halt as a large, well muscled, and decidedly _not_ feminine arm slung itself over her stomach.

She snapped her eyes open with a soft squeak and gawked at the appendage draped over her. And it's owner curled up next to her and still out cold.

She was sleeping in _Gajeel's_ room?! How had that happened?

She calmed almost immediately as the memory of them talking about books and reading together came back to her. It got blurry after a while, which she supposed probably meant she'd started falling asleep, but the more she strained the more she could remember bits of him carrying her to a room.

She'd thought at the time it was the room she'd been given with Chelia, but apparently not. He'd taken her to his instead.

Unable to resist, she eased away from him, hoping she didn't wake him up, and sat up to look around. This room was all Gajeel. The version that acknowledged his dragon half, and didn't hide. The same room that held his personal hoard.

There was no way she could resist taking a peek.

Making sure he was still fast asleep, Levy tip toed away from the pile of blankets to investigate his private room.

Perhaps it was sneaky to do this while he was out cold, but Levy couldn't find it in her to care. She was happy to learn about him...

And it's not like he would be shocked by her snooping either. In fact he would probably be more disappointed if she didn't!

At least that was her reasoning as she looked at the wide room, covered in roughly cut black stone.

In some areas the jagged rock was textured and rough like sandpaper, but in others it was buffed and polished like marble. Levy thought it suited his personality very well.

She looked around, finding several string instruments of various ages all laying carefully in cases or makeshift hooks.

It was well known in Fairy Tail that Gajeel had a rather unfortunate love of singing, but Levy had no idea how far it ran.

And personally, she really enjoyed his singing. Even when he donned a silly suit and got embarrassingly into his impromptu performances. It seemed like he had a long time of music under his belt.

That suited him too. It was nice to know he hadn't hidden everything about himself from their friends. Though she wished he hadn't had to. He was a truly complex man, and the more she learned about him the more fascinating he became.

On the surface he was built to be simple. A rough man with rough tastes and rough attitudes. But this was the same man who wrote poetry in the form of songs and poured his heart into them. The same man who had professed to a love of reading, and had a truly magnificent section of bookcases on one wall.

Levy couldn't figure him out, but she had no intention to ever stop trying either.

She worked her way around the room, careful not to touch anything, as she inspected the rest of his hoard. Her hands itched to look at some of the titles he had on his shelves, but she resisted knowing he hadn't given her permission yet, and her eyes continued on.

The room itself was large. Not dragon large since as a half dragon he apparently couldn't shift the way the others could, but still at least ten times the size of her room back in Magnolia, and it was clear he'd spent a lot of time personalizing it and organizing it the way he liked.

It made her wonder if other dragons did the same.

"Takin' a tour?"

She nearly leapt out of her skin at the sleep rough voice and spun around to find him smirking at her in hazy eyed amusement.

He reminded her very acutely of a sleepy, entertained, predator at that moment though she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the way his eyes were tracking her in a way that almost looked hungry?

It might even had something to do with the fact his hair was falling over his eyes, giving him a look that blew right past adorably dishevelled and fell right into the category of 'ohgod.'

He propped himself up on his elbows, forearms sinking into thick pillows. Levy swallowed tightly and shifted awkwardly. It wasn't fair for him to look so good after being all sleep-mussed. Slowly, almost as if he sensed the directions her brain was beginning to turn, a smirk darkened his face.

Combined with that hungry look in his eyes, Levy felt like a rabbit about to be devoured whole.

"Maybe," Levy hedged, hands dropping behind her back as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

"Can you blame me for wanting to get to know you a little better? You brought me to your room, and I've already learned something about you," The last part was said in a whisper.

She walked back to him a conspiratorial gleam glowing in her eyes.

"Oh yeah?," he challenged, "Like what?"

She bent in closer still, enough that her face was filling his vision.

"You're a pack rat," She smirked.

Gajeel snorted in amusement, and his smirk widened into a toothy grin, "I'm a dragon Levy." He rumbled darkly, "I hoard what's valuable to me the way you hoard books." He resisted the urge to pull her close, "There's nothing in here I don't value."

His grin widened at the surprise in her eyes, "Course, some of it I value more than other stuff."

She blinked at him a little and the sassy little smirk that made him want to either kiss her or throw her over his shoulder and slap her bottom reappeared.

"Maybe, but you're still a pack rat." She teased.

He shrugged easily, seeing no reason to deny her claim, "I guess that's how come dragons collect enough to make a hoard in the first place." He retorted, and rolled her eyes as he noticed her shivering a little.

"C'mere Shrimp." He grunted and slung an arm around her waist to pull her back into their little nest. He wasn't sure how they'd managed to create one while they were both asleep, but apparently some instincts wouldn't be denied.

"Ain't late enough to be hot in here." He rumbled into her hair, "We've got a couple hours at least before breakfast."

"And how do you know that sir snores a-lot?" Levy complained, but slowly relaxed in his hold. She sank back in the covers being warmed by his body.

His arms also felt so nice and secure around her, which made her relax all the more against him.

"It's cold as the devil in here," He coiled her to him, fingers pressing into the small of her back. He made a pleased noise in the back of his throat, unable to stop it when she practically seemed to melt in his arms.

So what if he was a bit of a romantic? After all he had gotten it from his father himself, even if Metallicana would deny it.

He felt Levy's agreement before she ever even voiced a comment.

"Yeah, okay," Levy murmured into his neck, "We can rest a little more before we have to race Natsu for some breakfast."

* * *

 _ **Please don't go to other writers and tell them to give us their fic if they have chosen to stop posting it. Don't be rude and tell them their idea is wasted on them. This happened to a friend of mine the other day, and it was frankly shocking and a little offensive to see. I know Kytrin and I write often and update frequently, but that's just the style of how we write our stories. That's not for everyone. Please be considerate, that's a fast way to lose a good writer in the fandom.** _

_**Maybe I'm not in the best state to address this, I've been having some severe family issues so far, and I find it more exhausting than usual to see things like that. To any author, not just someone who happens to be a friend of mine.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks to everyone who was kind and reviewed for us! I won't harp any longer.**_

 _ **Here's your sneak peek.**_

* * *

 _He eyed Cancer for another moment and nodded as he settled on a stray pillow, "Alright crab man, let's see what you can do."_

 _He had no reason to distrust Lucy so he would let them try it. Though part of him was pleased that Cancer's magic could fix it if he wanted. He didn't know about like or dislike in this case, but he knew instinctively that change made him twitchy, so being able to go back to the familiar if he wanted was comforting.  
_

 _"You got it baby!" Cancer replied and slashed his scissors through the air at Natsu's head. In moments hair was sent flying everywhere and Cancer was holding up a mirror to show Natsu what he looked like with his new style.  
_

 _Natsu blinked, his head feeling suddenly a hundred times lighter. His fingers groped through the short locks, his head tilting at the sight of his reflection in the mirror.  
_

 _"Whooooooa," He propped his fingers through it, clutching at his locks of hair between his hands and standing up quickly, "It's so light!"  
_

 _His cheeks flushed and he grinned at Lucy so wide his smile was in danger of breaking off his face._


	25. Sandman

_Hey guys! It's Kytrin again. Due to the amount of stuff Mslead currently has on her plate, I've decided to keep posting here for her until things have calmed down enough that she's not being pulled in fifty directions. I'm not actually sure how long that'll take, so you guys might well see me until the end of the story lol! Either way, know that she **does** get your reviews, and I'm positive she appreciates all the well wishes she's had so far. _

_Do keep in mind I will mostly be under my own account here, so if you need to PM us please send it directly to me as I might not see it right away under Mslead's profile. Also, don't forget I'm going to be posting on tumblr at the same time, and while I've gotten better at that it could take me a minute to get it both places on posting days._

 _That said... enjoy the chapter! :)_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 25**

 _ **Sandman**_

 _The Sandman is a mythical character in Central and northern European folklore who puts people to sleep and brings good dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of people while they sleep at night._

* * *

"So tell me about this demon tribe that helped you out before." Metallicana rumbled as he tore another bite off his breakfast.

It seemed that despite Rogue's words the night before, dragons were quite fond of eggs, bread, fruit, and fried meat for breakfast. There was even more than one type of beverage. It was just all in quantities that made it look like they were feeding an army. Levy wasn't sure if they were going all out for their benefit or not, but either way she was pleased to have a relatively normal breakfast and not more roast.

"They live on Galuna Island." Gajeel replied as he made himself a bacon and metal sandwich of all things, "Seems they're the castoffs of demon society. They were created to work, but then got booted by the more powerful demons."

He shrugged and took a bite, "They left before they could become cannon fodder, and settled on the island. They don't like Tartaros, but they're too weak to fight them except in little ways, so they keep to themselves as much as they can."

He smirked at his father, "I tell you what though, they've cornered the non-human tradin' market for the islands in the area. The chief was tellin' me they've got contacts with just about every sentient the area, and even a village of giants inland."

"Interesting." Metallicana mused thoughtfully, "Do you think they would be interested in trading with the nest? There are a number of things we would be able to trade in exchange for more varied foodstuffs and the few items we lack the ability to create ourselves."

Gajeel nodded, "I'm sure they would. A powerful ally might help them out a lot. 'Specially if there's the chance of a nest interested in takin' up residence in the future. They told us about a big temple in the middle of the island. It's abandoned and they can't use it, but if it's still in decent shape..."

"It would make a fine dragon nest." Metallicana nodded, "That's certainly something to keep in mind. Though I'm not interested in us moving away from Tenrou."

Natsu yawned noisily from nearby, his beady eyes following the bacon Lucy was pulling up to her mouth. He had already licked his own plate clean in record time and was now seeming to contemplate stealing some of her food while she was distracted.

But his attention was partially divided anyway. He glanced back at Gajeel, his eyebrow raising, "Wouldn't an alliance with dragons make Galuna look like a threat to both the humans and demons of Tartaros?"

He waved a dismissive hand through the air, managing to swipe some food off Gajeel's plate as he did so, "Like, wouldn't that make them a target to both? Either way you look at it, you've got Tartaros not likin' the Galuna Islanders to gain a strong ally for rebellion, and the humans don't know the difference between nice demons and bad ones."

"Besides, won't opening a trading post with the demons be getting involved in their affairs more than Igneel wanted? You're out of his nest now, but I bet that will still piss your king off plenty," Natsu tapped his fingers against his desk.

"I see what you're saying," Levy frowned over at where the demon was stretching next to Lucy, deigning not to elaborate, "It's been over four hundred years without either Galuna or the dragons being attacked, because for whatever reason they haven't been seen as a threat."

"And we clearly know dragons _are_ a threat," Natsu mumbled.

Levy nodded, "So that can only mean they haven't attacked any of the dragon's nest because they have remained completely neutral in this whole war. But any shift to that-..."

She trailed off.

"That would be a problem yeah." Gajeel rumbled, "This nest ain't old enough or big enough yet to stand against that. Maybe in two or three hundred years, but not yet."

"Why that long?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Because that's the least amount of time I would need to firmly establish our territory and raise our profile enough to attract more dragons." Metallicana rumbled irritably, "At the moment Skiadrium and his queen are the only breeding pair in our nest, and Gajeel and Rogue our only hatchlings."

"The true wealth of a dragon's nest is determined by how prosperous it is for those who live there." Rogue explained quietly, "Dragon fertility is a direct result of how much food and other resources are available. These are things that Tenrou and the surrounding islands have in abundance, but the nest itself is young and unproven despite who our drake is. It will take time to raise our profile enough to attract the right caliber of dragon to build us up into a force that can stand against Tartaros."

"So when you say you're looking to trade you really meant establishing yourselves as something more than you are now." Lucy replied.

"Yes." Metallicana replied with a frown, "Unfortunately, Natsu has a point. Even if the Galuna demons are neutral with regard to Tartaros and humanity there is the chance Tartaros won't leave things be, and my brother is stubborn enough he wouldn't interfere if they chose to take exception to the arrangement."

Gajeel snorted, "No guarantee they would. They didn't seem to care about the Galuna demons or a rebellion one way or the other." He frowned, "Though I wouldn't put it past that asshole Jackal to blow 'em up just for fun if they tried anything."

Natsu leaned his elbows on the table and gave them a drowsy looking smile. He grinned at them hazily, somewhat pleased he was being taken seriously.

Although he supposed he had all the internal knowledge to be considered a threat already crammed into his head. Being a demon built to be a weapon had its advantages. Having a tactically aware brain for example.

He wet his lips and swiped another piece of food off Gajeel's plate, who swung wide and missed clocking him by a narrow margin. Natsu grinned in victory, a rumble vibrating in his chest.

He sagged down on a propped up elbow, leaning his head on his curled fist.

The feathery light touch from Lucy a moment later attracted his attention, even as the conversation drifted off into other topics.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked curiously, "You've been yawning an awful lot."

Natsu ducked his head a bit sheepishly, "Sorry Lucy." He apologized, "I'm just tired."

"You didn't sleep well?" Lucy asked, cocking her head slightly, a little surprised Natsu hadn't woken her up if that was the case.

Natsu shook his head, "Naw. I kept waking up more than usual." He scowled, "It was really annoying."

Lucy frowned, "Hang on, more than usual? Has this happened before?"

Ugh, had he really just said that? He really _was_ tired. He hadn't meant to tell Lucy that one. He knew how much she worried and usually it was fine since he was generally able to grab little naps during the day.

"Sometimes?" He admitted, "I don't usually sleep more than four or five hours anyway, but sometimes I wake up sooner. Though usually I can go back to sleep right after!"

"Hm. Even so, that's not something we can ignore." Lucy mused, "Even if you can get away with sleeping so little at night, which seems weird given how much you sleep during the _day_ by the way, not being able to sleep at all is a problem."

"A sleep aid might do the trick." Chelia spoke up, her attention having been drawn by the topic of conversation, "Even demons are susceptible to those. If there's not a tablet form available I know the recipe for a tea that should do the trick provided we can get the ingredients."

Lucy nodded, "That sounds like a good idea." She agreed, and frowned thoughtfully, "I don't have one in my pack, and I don't think Natsu does either." She glanced at the demon inquiringly and he shook his head, "Hey Levy, do you have any sleep aids in your stuff?"

"What?" Levy asked, her attention being pulled from the other conversation, "Uh, I might. Why?"

"Natsu didn't sleep very well last night." Lucy smiled, "So I want to give him something and put him back to bed."

"Wait, but-" Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when Lucy gave him a very firm look.

"No 'buts,'" she scolded him, "You need your rest. Especially if we're all going to be fighting and traveling so much. At least humor me this one time."

Natsu's shoulders hunched over and he reluctantly nodded. As much as he didn't want to worry Lucy, it seemed that was precisely what he had done.

Four to five hours, in truth, was an exaggeration. Although he _did_ sometimes get that many. He more often than not got even less than that, sometimes waking up in fits and starts over a long course of time.

Although he did find he was able to sleep for longer periods of time when he was sprawled over or around Lucy. He supposed she set his mind at ease.

So when Levy got up to get her bag and returned shortly with a small packet of pills, Natsu took them with a great show of whining and reluctance.

"What're they supposed to do?" he asked, reaching across the tablet to refill his cup.

"Nothing bad Natsu." Lucy smiled, "I promise. They'll just make you drowsy enough to fall back asleep and help you stay asleep for a good eight hours or so. When you wake up again you might feel a bit groggy, but that should be about it."

Natsu whined softly again, and reluctantly opened the packet. He didn't want to do this, but Lucy's underlying order was both clear and firm. She wanted him rested and healthy, and he couldn't do that sleep deprived.

Lucy smiled sympathetically and patted his arm, "I'm sorry to make you do this, but hopefully this will be the only time."

"Fine." Natsu grumbled for show, and tossed the pills back, quickly chasing them with his drink. He hated taking pills, though he wasn't sure why, but for Lucy he would do anything.

"C'mon." Lucy said as she got up and gently tugged him to his feet, "I'm familiar with that kind, and you'll start to feel the effects soon. No sense in you passing out somewhere uncomfortable."

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu grumbled as he let her lead him off. He wasn't sure, but he thought he was already feeling sleepier. Not that he hadn't already felt exhausted before. He probably would've gone back to sleep as soon as he could anyway.

But by the time they made it back to their room, Natsu quickly realized that _Lucy wasn't kidding_.

He stumbled once and his knees buckled when a staggering yawn broke free from him and he swayed in his spot. Slowly, he edged towards the cushions and dropped back down on the disheveled pile.

He glanced sleepily over at Lucy, his eyes foggy from exhaustion.

"Gonna stay?" He asked, voice muffled from being mashed into the pillow, Another yawn shook out from his lungs and he curled onto his side, twisting a blanket in his arms.

"For a bit," Lucy grinned at him, watching with satisfaction as his eyelids drooped to half mast.

"I'll come in and check on you in a bit, so try to get some rest," She selected the book they had read together before and made herself comfortable next to Natsu.

He wiggled his hips closer to her, a sleepy smile on his face as his arm dropped onto her waist like a lead weight.

She grunted a bit and was about to chastise him for it when she realized a moment later he was almost completely out of it

She shook her head and settled down to relax. It wasn't how she'd expected to spend the day, but there were certainly worse ways.

She grinned as she reached over and managed to snag the book of fairy tales they'd been reading the night before and cracked it open. The stories in here might not all be positive, but they were fascinating to read all the same, and she had no qualms about spending a few hours doing so despite the novelty of being in a dragon nest of all places.

Outside of Metallicana and Rogue she hadn't interacted much with the other dragons, and it felt awkward to her to try given the strained relationship between most dragons and humans.

No, that was something she was more than happy to leave to Levy for the moment. She was the one they were obviously interested in anyway with her closeness to Gajeel.

Her lips twitched a little as she started to read. Hopefully those two would do something about their situation soon. It was clearer to her every day just how much Gajeel cared.

The thought was quickly forgotten as she lost herself in the book. However, sometime later, she wasn't sure how long, she was pulled from her reading by a small sound. Confused, she looked over at Natsu and frowned a little to see his face scrunched up and soft, pleading, whimpers coming from his throat.

"Natsu?" She murmured reaching over to gently rub his shoulder a little, "Are you okay?"

He didn't respond, the drugs too deep in his system to pull him out of his sleep. Instead his legs kicked feebily in the blankets, his eyelids fluttering in rapid blinks.

Moaning again, Natsu's breathing grew rapid, a coat of sweat breaking out over his face and chest. Lucy blinked at the sight of him in such a state.

He looked distressed, ragged breaths and begging whines gasping from his throat. Natsu's brows knitted into a sharp slant, his chest rising up from his shoulders only to slacken, fight draining out of him.

Lucy's eyes widened and she crept a hand to his forehead, only to quickly yank her hand away from him. He was burning up!

His breaths sounded hoarse, and his fingers fisted into the covers without control. Lucy shook his shoulder, quick to keep her touch off his hot body, but he didn't stir.

It seemed he wouldn't be waking up until whatever was in his system made its way back out.

And It seemed she had discovered the cause of his insomnia. Something was keeping him up. Something bad. Something not even Natsu knew. Memories perhaps?

She pushed the thought away in favor of wedging a thick pillow on her lap and positioning his head gently on top of it. Immediately, she felt a drop in temperature around his body, his subconscious no doubt adjusting to her presence.

Lucy sighed as she started carding her fingers through his hair, an action that seemed to quiet him further, "I'm sorry Natsu." She murmured, "I didn't know it was nightmares."

She resolved to herself that she wouldn't make him do this again. Ever. There was nothing worse than being trapped in your nightmares. She knew that from experience. And clearly Natsu's memories of his time before weren't nearly as gone as they'd hoped. That was something they'd have to be mindful of.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything they could do about the current situation now. They didn't exactly have an antidote, so he would have to endure his memories for a while longer. With luck those memories would fade back into his foggy memory once he woke up, and the worst he would need would be a good meal.

She had even less intention of leaving him now than before though. She was resolved to stay put for him unless she absolutely _had_ to get up for something.

And so it proved. She stayed with him as he whimpered and whined his way through the rest of his drug induced coma doing her best to keep him calm and let him know she was there. It seemed to help a little, which pleased her.

She just wished she could do more for him.

Eventually, just as late afternoon was starting to turn into early evening, Natsu shifted a little and lifted his head sleepily, "Lucy?" He mumbled groggily, and she smiled, "Right here Natsu."

He blinked at her in slight confusion and then seemed to realize that he was sleeping on her lap, and a slow, happy, smile worked its way over his lips.

"You stayed the whole time?" Natsu asked, looking quite pleased by the whole realization.

She thought if he had a tail he would have wagged it.

He twisted his head to press his nose into her stomach, his grin seeming to spread over his relaxed face. He blinked at her blearily and sat up slowly, groaning in the back of his throat.

"How did you sleep?" Lucy asked, a touch nervously.

Natsu rolled a shoulder as he crossed his legs, long hair spilling out over his chest and partially down his back. He grit his teeth together to smother the yawn.

"Like a rock," He admitted, his grin a little crooked as he glanced at her, "Not sure if I'll do it again though, I feel really weird. Slow."

"The sluggishness will wear off," Lucy gave him a look of relief and scooted in behind him, taking his hair soothingly between her hands.

He held still, glancing at her curiously over his shoulder as she finger combed it smooth.

"Did you dream about anything?" Lucy asked, again with her nerves just at the surface, her fingers beginning to twist the rosy hair into a braid. She plaited it carefully, making sure to capture all of the rosy spikes that threatened to spill from her fingers.

Especially with all of his squirming.

Natsu shrugged again, "I think so?" He frowned with thought, "I can't really remember anything though."

Lucy laughed a little, relief coursing through her, "That happens to me all the time." She told him as she tied off his braid, and shifted around to start working on one of the strands that had escaped her.

"Luuuucy!" Natsu whined, "Stop it!"

Lucy burst into laughter, aware that he was only whining for show and tugged gently on the braid she was working on, "What?" She teased, "You don't like me doing your hair?"

"I don't want it in braids!" Natsu pouted, pleased he'd made her laugh, "It looks weird."

"Heaven forbid you look weird." Lucy rolled her eyes, "But if you don't want it braided we could always trim it up." She grinned as she pulled out Cancer's key, "Cancer is the best stylist I know. I bet he could give you a good haircut."

Natsu tugged at a lock of hair thoughtfully, "You'd really do that?"

He hadn't ever considered asking to have his hair cut. It hadn't seemed important before, and now he was surprised she'd thought about it enough to offer. Though he supposed he really shouldn't have been.

"Natsu, your hair is almost long enough to match mine." Lucy retorted wryly, "And I keep mine that way deliberately. You're past due for a trim at the very least."

Before he could say another word she slashed her key through the air, "Open! Gate of the Crab! Cancer!"

"Hey baby." Cancer greeted as he appeared, "Looking for a new 'do?"

"Natsu could use a bit of a trim." Lucy replied, gesturing to the suddenly nervous demon edging away from the pillow pile, "I'm sure you can make him look good."

Natsu eyeballed Cancer, his expression one of extreme suspicion, "Don't I get a say in this?" he demanded, already feeling a tugging in a gut to make him obey the silent command. Only his hesitation over the sudden appearance of the spirit swayed it.

Lucy, reminded of their very recent experimentation with sleep deprivation, suddenly sobered as shame washed through her. She had already forgotten how very few choices Natsu actually had. And wasn't that just a kick in the gut?

His questioning might have just been his way to try and buy himself some time, and she couldn't really blame him.

"You're right Natsu," Lucy replied apologetically, "I'm sorry. You have every right to your appearance." She gestured to his long braid, "Would you like to have it cut?"

Natsu looked surprised, seemingly a little taken aback at how easily Lucy had given in. His eyes narrowed with clear suspicion and he let out a low hum.

Likes were still tricky for him to figure out, but he couldn't see any beneficial reason to keep the long hair. Not when it was just so much easier to fight without it getting in the way. Or caught on something.

"Y-yeah, is it safe?" He squinted at Cancer.

"Totally safe baby." Cancer replied easily, "You won't even notice until it's done."

"I should mention that Cancer can fix it back if you don't like it." Lucy told Natsu apologetically, "So there's no risk, and I didn't mean to run roughshod all over you like that. Really."

Natsu's heart thumped a bit at her apology and he smiled at her, "It's okay Luce." He replied without thinking, "I know you didn't."

And he truly did know. She went out of her way to avoid giving him direct orders except where his health was concerned. It was the subtle commands that tended to get her, and he loved her for how she made an effort even there.

He eyed Cancer for another moment and nodded as he settled on a stray pillow, "Alright crab man, let's see what you can do."

He had no reason to distrust Lucy so he would let them try it. Though part of him was pleased that Cancer's magic could fix it if he wanted. He didn't know about like or dislike in this case, but he knew instinctively that change made him twitchy, so being able to go back to the familiar if he wanted was comforting.

"You got it baby!" Cancer replied and slashed his scissors through the air at Natsu's head. In moments hair was sent flying everywhere and Cancer was holding up a mirror to show Natsu what he looked like with his new style.

Natsu blinked, his head feeling suddenly a hundred times lighter. His fingers groped through the short locks, his head tilting at the sight of his reflection in the mirror.

"Whooooooa," He propped his fingers through it, clutching at his locks of hair between his hands and standing up quickly, "It's so light!"

His cheeks flushed and he grinned at Lucy so wide his smile was in danger of breaking off his face.

"I-I ... _like_ it!"

He turned to Lucy, riding happily off the feeling of being free from his hairy prison. Natsu swooped her in between his hands, laughing at her startled squeal. Especially when she braced her hands on his shoulders.

"Thank you Lucy! I _like_ it!" He repeated this, but with more passion now that he was certain of his feelings behind it.

His eyes glittered with excitement and he jumped energetically, Lucy still in his grasp, "I feel like my head could float away!"

Lucy laughed happily, "I'm so glad you like it!" She replied sincerely, "You look really good!"

Amazingly good actually. It was a little startling. The long hair had looked good on him, but this was just as good if not better. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged gently, "Thanks Cancer, you did a really good job."

The spirit smiled at them and nodded as he vanished back through the gate.

"I really like it!" Natsu cackled again, "You're the best Lucy!"

Lucy blushed a little and pulled him into a spontaneous hug, "I'm so proud of you Natsu."

Not because he'd called her the best. Though the compliment pleased her. But because he liked his haircut. She knew how big a thing that was for him, and in her eyes it was one step closer to him fully healing from what was done to him.

She pulled back a moment later and grinned, "C'mon! Why don't we go show off your haircut and get something to eat? Because I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

Natsu nodded, feeling a sudden and unexplained loss when she pulled away. Her smile lingered in his mind even when Lucy turned around.

He was gripped with the urge to take her back into his arms and hug her until...

He didn't know what in truth.

But he still had that impulse to hold her and not let go.

Because as happy as that interaction made him, he also felt that perhaps there was something happening he didn't quite know. Like there was something lingering in her mind and throwing her off balance.

He could feel it in the way she hugged him and the way she questioned him about his dreams.

He just didn't know how to ask her.

But, he reasoned, it was fine. She seemed to feel weirdly guilty about her subconscious demands, even if he knew it wasn't what she intended. It appeared like it was bothering her more than it was bothering him.

Still... he would have to keep an eye on his mistress.

She was keeping secrets, that much he knew.

Natsu would just have to wait until they came out into the open. Lucy would tell him in time.

* * *

 _Special thanks to our many reviewers! We love you all! I know some of you didn't like the fact last chapter was just Gale (or Gajevy if you prefer), but considering most of the rest of the story is NOTHING BUT NALU... I think we can spare a chapter to someone else huh? :)_

 ** _Saints-Fan-12, notjustanyfangr, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RunningManJunkie2015, SilverHea, sthokatrina, Kiarikano, Fairy Rains, GodofGreed, Animeweabo, rachil, lifeisjustchess, RunningWithTheRiptide, animequeen10, Kyrianae Narii, Crimsonlink310, 13, Kinsutenekochan, Kuki, akamagerain, Ashnmarley, zachfikes7, Fairytail-FMA-fan, FlameDragonHime, notsudrogneel, Annie, BloodRedRubies, Twishadowhunter, Gir276, Shidake, Guest, LaserkittenLucy, Aya Rose, Phiafairy, caslspirit15, Unoyoko94, NaLuFTfanatic, MehKitty, endlessmisery23, An Amber Pen, Marie-S-Raven, Forestpool, FireShifter, lifeconnoisseur, BaeBears, Phoenix Deity, Usweasil, Guest, Writing bunny_**

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS OR MORE EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _Still, he wished that was the case with these Tartaros freaks._

 _They had hurt their friends, and for some reason that thought alone made Natsu unreasonably furious._

 _Lucy reached over and gently curled her hand around his arm, "We'll get him Natsu." She promised, "One of these days Jackal will pay for this and every other crime he's committed."_

 _Natsu slowly let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and nodded. He hated that he couldn't go after Jackal now, but he understood why. Even if he could defeat Jackal now they'd just gone through a fairly intricate plot to escape Tartaros and doing so would undo all their hard work_

 _"It still pisses me off though." He growled, "They didn't deserve this!"_

 _"No one ever does Natsu." Lucy replied evenly, "These people didn't, the people demons kill every year don't. Even the villagers that ran us out of town don't deserve what happens to them either." She shook her head, "That's the problem with war. It hurts everyone, and it doesn't have borders. No matter what some people think."_

 _Natsu stared at her a little in surprise. He hadn't actually thought about it that way at all._

 _Lucy just smiled at him, "Don't worry too much. We're working to put an end to it, and once we do things will start to get better. Maybe they won't be perfect, but that's why the world will need guilds like Fairy Tail right?"_

 _Natsu blinked and grinned back at her, "Yeah!"_


	26. Maenad

_Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 26! You are officially more than halfway through golem, though we have quite a ways to go still. No housekeeping this chapter that I can think of off hand, so you guys enjoy! :)_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 26**

 _ **Maenad**_

 _Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by Dionysus into a state of ecstatic frenzy through a combination of dancing and intoxication._

* * *

Early the next morning, Chelia found herself waiting on the beach with Natsu, Lucy, Gajeel, Levy, and Metallicana. Surprisingly, the rest of the nest on the island had come out to see them off. Many of them were, of course, friends with Gajeel and seemed sorry to see him go again.

But Chelia was eager to be on her way too. As interesting as it had been to meet dragons, she was excited to meet their friends back on Galuna again. Their next stop before heading back to the mainland.

"It was nice meeting you all." She told the assembled dragons cheerfully. They might not have become friends exactly, but she'd found the dragons to be a lot of fun after the first day. Her godslaying was close enough to their magic that they'd only been too happy to spar with her for a while.

"Train hard hatchling." Skiadrium's queen rumbled in amusement, "I hope one day I can see how much you've improved."

"You bet I will!" Chelia replied with a fierce grin, "And I'll come back to visit once the war is over! I promise!"

"I look forward to it little one."

"Alright." Metallicana rumbled loudly, catching everyone's attention, "Let's get going."

He stepped back and swiftly transformed into his dragon form before carefully lowering himself down on the beach and holding his foreclaw out, "All aboard." He rumbled in amusement.

The group hastily finished their goodbyes and ran over to the proffered claw. Even Gajeel, though he had the ability to balance and fly with Metallicana without needing the support, he'd elected to remain with the others. Mostly Levy.

Once they were settled, Metallicana curled his claws around them in a loose fist so they wouldn't fall, and gently plucked up their boat before taking to the air.

The trip back was considerably shorter than the trip going since not only were they flying, the motion sickness often associated with transportation didn't seem to take effect now that they were being carried by Metallicana.

Lucy thought that was a small blessing, but she still kept close to Natsu should he take a turn for the worse. As it stood, he was merely reclining back on the palm of their ride.

He had his hands tucked behind his head, his expression vacant as he zoned out to everything around him. He caught Lucy looking at him though, and flashed her a smile that put her at ease.

So when they arrived at Galuna Island, they were all in considerably better shape than they had been when they arrived the first time.

"Wow! That was incredible! I wish I had wings!" Natsu stretched out, groaning a bit from having been sprawled out or hunched down for the duration of the trip.

"You might have wings in your full demon form." Lucy offered as he helped her off Metallicana's claw, "Maybe one of these days we can figure out how to call them up at will."

"That would be amazing!" Natsu agreed fervently, excited at the very thought of being able to soar through the air under his own power.

He remembered vividly how he'd unlocked his power while fighting Phantom Lord, but no wings had appeared then. Maybe it was something Lucy had to order him to do? He heaved a mental shrug and shoved the thought aside as the Galuna locals rushed out to investigate the giant dragon landing on their beach.

"I see you had some success!" Bobo told them as he stared at Metallicana with wide eyes, and the dragon chuckled as he shifted down to his human form.

"They did." He rumbled and walked over to greet the demons with a bow, "I'm Metallicana. Drake of the Tenrou Island nest."

"We're honored to meet you." Bobo replied, "I'm Bobo, the Chief's son. I apologize for him not meeting you himself, but he's currently away."

Metallicana nodded, "That's fine. My son told me you had a number of contacts you traded with."

Bobo laughed, "Not _that_ many!" He replied, "But a few yes. There are a few settlements on other islands that don't turn their noses up at demon made goods."

"I can well imagine." Metallicana replied, "If it weren't for the current political situation I would be very interested in becoming a trading partner with you. I have a mind to expand my nest, but..."

He trailed off with a shrug, and Bobo nodded, "We understand. Come. Allow us to at least offer you some hospitality before your return." He smiled at Natsu and the others, "And we would like to hear the news from our friends as well!"

They all filed through the familiar tribe, moving past the walled off area. It appeared as if there were damages done to the walls as they crossed by.

"It looks like you didn't get out of your interaction with Tartaros totally unscathed," Levy came across a portion of the wall which had been totally obliterated.

"Luckily, it was just a wall," Bobo nodded, "Jackal was not happy you managed to escape, but they're long gone now. Thankfully the only damages done to us were of the proprietary kind. We were lucky enough to be spared other kinds of punishment."

"Bastards," Natsu growled, his teeth gritting down into angry points as he saw the utter carnage which greeted them.

It was times like this where he wished he could access his full strength at will. He wondered what would happen if Lucy commanded it. He knew it wasn't really necessary if he was angry enough, the power burst out of him from no where then. Unfortunately it had only happened when Lucy was in mortal peril. Only then had Natsu ever gotten worked up enough to utterly smash his opponents.

Still, he wished that was the case with these Tartaros freaks.

They had hurt their friends, and for some reason that thought alone made Natsu unreasonably furious.

Lucy reached over and gently curled her hand around his arm, "We'll get him Natsu." She promised, "One of these days Jackal will pay for this and every other crime he's committed."

Natsu slowly let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and nodded. He hated that he couldn't go after Jackal now, but he understood why. Even if he could defeat Jackal now they'd just gone through a fairly intricate plot to escape Tartaros and doing so would undo all their hard work

"It still pisses me off though." He growled, "They didn't deserve this!"

"No one ever does Natsu." Lucy replied evenly, "These people didn't, the people demons kill every year don't. Even the villagers that ran us out of town don't deserve what happens to them either." She shook her head, "That's the problem with war. It hurts everyone, and it doesn't have borders. No matter what some people think."

Natsu stared at her a little in surprise. He hadn't actually thought about it that way at all.

Lucy just smiled at him, "Don't worry too much. We're working to put an end to it, and once we do things will start to get better. Maybe they won't be perfect, but that's why the world will need guilds like Fairy Tail right?"

Natsu blinked and grinned back at her, "Yeah!"

Natsu huffed in agreement and forced himself to relax. It was a happy time anyway, they were back with their Galuna Island friends. If nothing else that was cause for celebration.

He wanted to use his strength to learn how to protect his friends. They were the most important thing to him.

His power seemed like it was always in flux, dependent entirely on the height of his emotions. His fear for Lucy, and the rage he associated it had been the most powerful thing he had felt up until that point. And if he were honest, he was almost afraid of the force of his own emotions.

Passion was always there, just under the surface of his skin. It made everything else feel like he was seeing things in shades of pastel in comparison.

Natsu wanted to feel more. He was growing greedy for it with each new discovery he made.

Lucy had a point though, they needed to end this war to bring peace to everyone. The more he learned, the stronger he felt and the less 'pastel' followed him around.

Part of Natsu felt like it was still asleep, just following Lucy around like an automaton until he received an order or purpose. Those feelings were beginning to fade the more time he spent with Lucy though.

She was helping him learn about himself, teaching him how to protect what was important.

He curled his hand in hers.

He wanted to learn more, and he had a feeling his mistress was more than capable of helping him in that front.

Bobo clapped his hands loudly for the attention of the demons around, "Our friends have returned from their hunt!"

Natsu's attention snapped up to him, his posture relaxing as he realized they were being spoken about.

"I believe this calls for a celebration, to rejoice in their success!" Bobo laughed.

There was a cheer from the other demons and it didn't take long for them to split up in groups to prepare for the feast while others tugged Lucy, Levy, and Chelia off to get cleaned up.

"Why do they need to get cleaned up?" Natsu asked a trifle sulkily, "They didn't get dirty on the way over!"

"It's a female ritual." Bobo chuckled, "It would be wise to simply accept it and admire the results when they're done. I promise you won't be disappointed."

That just confused Natsu even more. What was so special about a bath? Sure, Lucy smelled nice after one, but she smelled nice anyway. And he'd already seen her in her Galuna costume.

"Try not to catch your brain on fire thinkin' about it Salamander." Gajeel smirked in amusement, "Not that there's much to burn up there."

"What?" Natsu snarled spinning to face Gajeel, "You calling me stupid metalhead?"

"Well if the shoe fits!" Gajeel snarled back.

"My shoes have nothing to do with this!"

"It's an expression you moron!"

"You want me to kick your ass again?"

"As if you could!"

Metallicana eyed the wrestling pair for a few moments before shifting to his partial form and coughing loudly, "You brats have three seconds before I forcibly re-locate you."

"Re-locate?" Natsu asked from around a mouthful of metal where Gajeel had crammed it into his cheek. He was yanking on handfuls of Gajeel's hair, almost smug that he no longer would fall victim to that himself.

"He means he's probably gonna drop us off on a mountain somewhere so we don't break the village worse than Tartaros did," Gajeel grunted, but reluctantly pulled away. He was in no mood to hike back to the village.

He was even less interested in missing Levy when she came out of her little whatever-it-was that the demons were doing.

"Alright fine, I'll play nice for now,' Gajeel grunted and backed off. Natsu rolled forward on the balls of his feet and snapped his mouth shut.

He too wasn't a fan of being separated from his mistress. It wasn't like their connection made it so he was trapped at her side, but he couldn't bodyguard her sufficiently well if he was tossed on the other side of the island.

So instead they opted to help preperations with the impromptu party, which involved stoking up a huge bonfire in the center of the village.

Natsu's mouth watered at the sight of it, and he couldn't help but take a few meaty chunks out of the flames when their backs were turned.

It was just starting to grow dark outside when Natsu realized it was taking an _excessive_ amount of time for the girls to get ready. They had been gone for hours and the food was already done sizzling on the spit and spread out on tables.

Just then, there was movement to one side as the women reappeared. He blinked as he realized they were all dressed in outfits both a lot skimpier and more elaborate than he'd seen before. Which was impressive since the demons didn't wear much to begin with.

Their normal clothes didn't include things at their wrists and feet that made them chime when they walked, or being draped in jewelry that made his palms itch a little with the desire to pick it up.

The lead demonesses twirled and stomped their feet as soon as they came into the light, swaying their hips in an elaborate fashion Natsu couldn't begin to understand as they danced over to specific male demons, who grinned eagerly and curled their arms around slender waists as they joined in.

Within moments the couples were dancing energetically around the bonfire as music started up from somewhere, and suddenly Natsu felt his heart pounding in time to the beat as everything came together. He growled softly as fire stirred in his belly, and he itched to join the others even though he didn't know the moves to the dance.

Bobo glanced at him curiously when he growled, but then smiled happily, "She should be out in a moment." He murmured.

And sure enough, just as he was starting to get impatient, Lucy, Levy, and Chelia appeared with the younger demonesses who led them over to where they were sitting with much ceremony before spinning off to either pick a partner or dance on their own.

There was a new kind of _pull_ in his chest, one that he couldn't quite smother as Lucy approached him with a smug looking smile. Everyone was paired off now, and even Levy had coaxed Gajeel to his feet.

For Natsu though, he didn't even hesitate when Lucy held a hand out to him. He had no idea how to dance, but he wasn't going to pass up on something which looked so fun.

Lucy's hands felt cool in his hands, the soft stroke of her fingers sliding against his arms until one rested at his shoulder and the other at his bicep. He licked his lips, throat feeling suddenly tight.

Natsu liked the way she chimed as she swayed in his grasp, his heart pulsing heat in his blood and making him itch to do... _something_. At the same time, he wanted to stay like they were.

Neither of them knew the steps to the dance, but they made up their own, slowly working up the speed to match the beat of the dance. It was a push and pull, working in tandem as the fire reflected around the spinning bodies around them.

And Natsu supposed making up the steps was fine too. Many people seemed to be breaking off with one another and finding other partners to mesh and make up their own dances with one another.

What they had suited him fine, the high spirits of the song as Lucy spun in his arms and he caught her. A bark of laughter bubbled out from his chest, one that was reflected by her as she wrapped her arms around his neck for him to lift her into the air.

Their own, uncoordinated dance meshed perfectly with one another. Natsu thought that was the true importance as they laughed and danced until they were out of breath and holding one another.

Eventually they wound their way to the edge of the dancing group as Lucy was starting to show signs of strain from the exertion. Natsu felt like he could go for a while longer, but he had no interest in finding another partner while Lucy rested. It just felt unnatural to even consider it.

So he guided her over to the spread out feast and grinned as he handed her a cup of something while she caught her breath.

"Thanks!" Lucy panted as she caught her breath and took a gulp of juice, "Mind if we sit for a while?"

Natsu eyed her for a moment and glanced at the other dancers, "I've got a better idea."

He grinned as he snagged one of the platters that hadn't been used for the food and piled it up with as much as he could get his hands on. When he finished he hefted it easily in one hand and reached out to her with the other, "C'mon Luce! Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked as she took his hand.

"To the beach!" He replied proudly, "You'll cool off faster there, and your star friends will be out right?"

Lucy giggled, "They're out anyway." She replied, but hastily snagged a blanket on the way for them to sit on.

She loved her costume, but she had no desire to try and keep sand out of it.

Natsu grinned as he tugged her excitedly towards the beach, his hand balancing the platter against his shoulder as they ran off together.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to all our awesome reviewers! Apologies, but I'm currently at work, and a little pressed for time, so I won't be listing you guys out individually. There are a bunch of you lol. However, know you are greatly loved and appreciated, and enjoy your well earned sneak peek! Love you guys!_**

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 _Natsu's cheeks flushed over being caught staring so intensely, his finger sliding over the smooth gold. Out of the firelight, it didn't have the same lively glow as it did before. But it still gleamed beautifully under the moonlight._

 _It looked haunting, like Lucy was draped in pearls instead of molten gold. He rather liked it on her._

 _He licked dry lips while Lucy rubbed her legs._

 _"Man you really are hard to keep up with sometimes Natsu," Lucy groaned, "I'm totally exhausted with all that dancing."_

 _Natsu grinned at her, "But you had fun right?"_

 _Lucy smiled and nodded as she grabbed a piece of fruit and bit into it, "I did." She replied, and looked out over the water, "This is nice too though. It's so peaceful."_

 _Natsu's breath caught at the look on her face. She was utterly breathtaking sitting blissfully in the moonlight, and despite the now muffled sounds of drums his heart thumped in his chest. His mistress was as beautiful outside as she was inside, and the itch to do something welled up inside him._

 _Unbidden the memory of the kiss she'd given him reared up again, and he suddenly wished she would give him another one. Unfortunately, she hadn't even so much as hinted that she was interested in doing so._


	27. Undine

**_WARNING: MILD TO MODERATE CITRUS FLAVORED CHAPTER AHEAD! Mind the purity marks (####) at the end especially!_**

 _Hey guys! Sorry I'm running late today. I'm pretty sleep deprived, and the day kinda got away from me lol. I should mention this chapter definitely toes the line between safe and citrus flavored. It's not exactly NSFW, but it's not exactly safe either. I've left it unmarked, except for the end, since I can't decide where I would even do that, so do take note and avert thine delicate eyes if it gets a little too hot for you. Not that I really expect any of you to do that... *smirk*_

 _Anyway, do enjoy the chapter! ~~Kytrin_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 27**

 ** _Undine_**

 _Undines are almost invariably depicted as being female, which is consistent with the ancient idea that water is a female element. They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls, and their beautiful singing voices are sometimes heard over the sound of water._

* * *

Only when they were at the water's edge did Natsu let go of Lucy's hand. She laughed at the sight of him kicking a foot at the waves lapping at his heels.

He settled the food a safe distance away from the waters edge and helped Lucy spread out the blanket for them to sit on. His chest still rose and fell with excitement, laughter spilling from his lungs.

"That was fun," He laughed, eyes glittering as he plopped down, "I didn't know you danced Lucy."

"Part of it was from my upbringing. I had to dance for formal events." She admitted with a grin of her own. Humor tugged at her lips as she watched his eyes falling to the shining metals of her costume. Something akin to greed flashed over his face and his fingers twitched.

Snorting a bit as Natsu tried to play it off, Lucy undid a small chain near her waist and passed it over to him, "Something to add to your little collection." She laughed.

Natsu's cheeks flushed over being caught staring so intensely, his finger sliding over the smooth gold. Out of the firelight, it didn't have the same lively glow as it did before. But it still gleamed beautifully under the moonlight.

It looked haunting, like Lucy was draped in pearls instead of molten gold. He rather liked it on her.

He licked dry lips while Lucy spread out the blanket and sat down to rub her legs.

"Man you really are hard to keep up with sometimes Natsu," She groaned, "I'm totally exhausted with all that dancing."

Natsu grinned at her as he flopped down to join her, "But you had fun right?"

She smiled and nodded as she grabbed a piece of fruit and bit into it, "I did." She replied, and looked out over the water, "This is nice too though. It's so peaceful."

Natsu's breath caught at the look on her face. She was utterly breathtaking sitting blissfully in the moonlight, and despite the now muffled sounds of drums his heart thumped in his chest. His mistress was as beautiful outside as she was inside, and the itch to do something welled up inside him.

Unbidden the memory of the kiss she'd given him reared up again, and he suddenly wished she would give him another one. Unfortunately, she hadn't even so much as hinted that she was interested in doing so.

"Natsu? Aren't you going to eat?"

He started a little in surprise and grabbed a piece of roast, "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Ah, about a lot of things." He replied nervously, hoping she didn't notice, "I mean, so much has happened lately."

"Don't worry Natsu, we'll get through this okay. Somehow," Lucy told him with that sweet smile of hers he never really understood.

All he knew now though, was the sight of that smile made his heart begin to race. The heat from their dance which had been quietly simmering in his blood, only seemed to reignite. Especially when she scooted in closer to him.

Their bodies had cooled from the dance, and now the ocean breeze was a little chilly.

He smothered a grin as Lucy discreetly tried to lean in to steal his natural warmth, and he leaned back a bit just to make it easier for her.

If only she knew his thoughts weren't exactly occupied only by their mission. He bit his bottom lip, his heart beginning to thump with more excitement at the feel of her pressing against his arm.

"You tired?" He asked, his voice thickening as he tried to speak around his tongue.

"Mmmm... a little." Lucy admitted as she shifted into a more comfortable position, leaning her head against his chest and abandoning all pretense of discretion, "It's been a while since I danced like that."

Natsu's heart rattled against his ribcage so hard he thought it was amazing that she didn't hear it. What was wrong with him? Heat that had nothing to do with his natural fire was sizzling through his blood and seemed to congregating in his belly the longer Lucy stayed curled up with him.

It didn't help at all that she was wearing less than usual, and so much of her creamy skin was on display. He couldn't keep his eyes off it and gave in to the urge to touch it by curling his arm around her and trailing his fingers gently over her arm.

He watched in fascination as she shivered a bit and pressed closer, the excited heat in his gut jolting sharply as he was treated to a suddenly fascinating view of her impressive cleavage.

He'd seen it before. More than once. Lucy wasn't exactly shy about showing it off at times. But somehow this time was different. He didn't know why.

He tried to cover it by taking a bite out of the meat he was holding, but it tasted like straw in his too dry mouth.

Thankfully, Lucy didn't seem to notice as she was caught up in the peace of the moment, for which he was grateful, but when she shifted again he nearly whimpered in despair. It seemed like every brush of skin against his fanned the flames higher, but he didn't know what to do about it.

His body, however, did.

His eyes widened in shock as he felt something twitch in his pants, and heat flooded his cheeks as realization hit. Not that he was particularly _embarrassed_ about it or anything. Even if he'd never experienced it, that he recalled, it wasn't like it was unnatural. He was just shocked by the fact that it was happening around Lucy. She was his mistress, and yet she was beginning to cause him to feel things that fell outside of the ordinary.

This was not precisely what he had in mind when he thought he wanted to learn and experience everything.

Oblivious, Lucy shifted her weight, her head leaning on his shoulder and filling the air with her soothing scent, and Natsu's whole body felt electric and that knot in his belly seemed to spark with electricity every time he shifted his hips.

"W-would you like to lay down?" Natsu asked in a rush, suddenly no longer able to control his mouth or the things that were coming out of it.

Lucy blinked a little at him and then smiled, "Yeah, that sounds good."

To his immense relief she let go and stretched out on the blanket, though the sight of her lying down like that did absolutely _nothing_ to calm him down.

"Uh, if you roll over I'll give you another backrub?" He offered hastily, and had to repress a growl when she smiled at him in delight and obligingly turned over. It seemed like everything she did was destined to drive him wild tonight.

"You're going to spoil me at this rate Natsu." Lucy giggled as she got comfortable.

"If you want, I'd give you one every night." Natsu purred, and immediately cringed over how husky his voice was. He covered it with a smile when she glanced over her shoulder curiously and shifted so he could touch her without her feeling the problem between his legs.

"Mmmmm... that feels good." Lucy purred as he started working on her, and he had to bite back another whimper when he throbbed in response to the sound. He knew she wasn't doing it on purpose, but she was not making it easy on him.

"So how come they dressed you up like this?" Natsu asked, casting around for something that wouldn't drive him crazier.

"Hm? Oh, they told me it was traditional to dress like this during a celebration." She smirked, "I think it's so they don't have much to take off at the end of the night."

This time Natsu _did_ choke on his tongue, his cheeks flaming at the coy smirk on her face that the clear innuendo in her voice. He broke away from her, hacking and coughing until she looked up to give him an umimpressed look.

"Are you okay?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah, just a coughing fit," Natsu wheezed. He choked on his own tongue. How embarrassing could that have possibly been?

He bent back over her, warming his hands just a little bit. He was of course insistent on focusing on bringing his mistress relief and pleasure, so he had to devout his attention to that task.

"I noticed everyone was a bit handsy," Natsu finally managed to respond to her statement with a quiet growl. Now he understood why Bobo had said for him to 'enjoy.'

Natsu had no idea what he was supposed to damn well enjoy at this moment. It felt like his groin was on fire, throbbing with every shift to his hips, even as he bent and slowly rubbed his hands down her back.

His fingertips brushed against the golden coins and chimes woven into the fabric, his breath catching at the sound of Lucy's shivering moan.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, his voice softer than the waves lapping at the shore so close to them.

Lucy nodded her face into the blanket, her eyes shuttering, "Yeah."

She kept her eyes down, grateful that it was dark and he wouldn't be able to see her clearly despite the light, but that didn't stop her from feeling every stroke of his warm hands against her skin.

She hadn't thought about it when she stretched out, but she was able to feel Natsu's hands through her normal clothes. The scraps of fabric and jewelry she had on only made it easier to feel every brush of his hot, calloused, hands against her, and it was quietly driving her wild.

She shivered as he gently rubbed a particularly difficult knot, and felt a jolt of heat head straight between her legs.

Oh no. No! This was not happening. She was _not_ getting aroused over a simple massage!

She was _certainly_ not getting aroused because it was Natsu touching her.

Except, it seemed she was.

The longer he worked the more she had to resist the urge to squirm under his hands. She could feel herself clenching in excitement every time he moved his hands near her breasts, or further down. It was intoxicating in a way, and she couldn't resist arching into his hands eagerly no matter where he touched her despite the fact he wasn't touching her in the places she burned the most.

Ugh, why was she acting like this? It was beyond embarrassing! Had it really been so long since she'd had a lover she was aching for the first attractive man to put his hands on her?

She didn't know, but ultimately it didn't matter right then. Because all she cared about was his hands on her, and fantasizing about him sliding his fingers a bit further down, and massaging her somewhere else entirely.

At that moment it was like something in Natsu sharpened. It was an awareness that made his whole body tingle, his senses flaring in a way that made him suddenly hungry.

It was in that moment that all of Gajeel's talks with him began to make sense, and he understood the physical craving of wanting to be closer to Lucy. He puffed out a ragged breath, his fingertips grazing down across her sides and dipping over the slope of her back.

He wanted to smooth his palms down on the globes of her rear and press his fingertips in the soft skin of her thighs. Wants... wants... wants...

Natsu _wanted_ her.

The massage turned out to be a bad idea after all. Lucy was breathing shallowly against him, and she smelled absolutely amazing. Natsu had to overcome the instinct to slowly dip down on top of her, his arms coming up to wrap around her body and pull her into his chest.

There was so much his body was craving all at once, and Natsu didn't know what to do with all of the sudden feelings. It felt like he would burst at the seams.

"You ready to go?" Natsu asked, his voice much lighter than what he could let on.

Lucy's breath hitched at the question, her mind immediately plunging into the gutter. Was she ready to go? Oh _yes_ she was! She hadn't wanted anything this badly since she could remember.

It took her a moment of struggle to realize that he hadn't meant it that way and he was really asking if she wanted to get off the beach.

She felt her face heat up as she nodded, "Y-yeah. Let's head in. It's getting late."

She awkwardly climbed to her feet, grateful he hadn't seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, and smiled at him, "Thanks for the massage."

She tried not to twitch as she throbbed hungrily at the movement, and wondered if there was a way she could escape to deal with this privately without him knowing.

She thought about it as they folded the blanket, too distracted to notice how he was moving stiffly or the bulge in his pants, "Um, I think I'm gonna take a quick stop by the bathhouse before I turn in." She grinned at him nervously, "I want to wash this paint and stuff off before I go to bed."

Natsu used the platter as a shield between himself and Lucy, "Go on ahead. I'll finish up here."

He fought for a smile, but it slipped easily off his face when she nodded and turned away from him.

His eyes fell down across her back and her hips, a swaying invitation for him to touch and never stop.

He was grateful when she was out of range to hear him whining, even as she hobbled away from him. He breathed out in relief and flopped back down on the folded up blanket.

####

His hand crept to his waistband, and he tugged his belt away, opening himself up to the night breeze.

He gasped at the feeling, his mind hazing over as his fingers found purchase. Oh that was good. Natsu's eyes shuttered and his body tensed, the flames licking through his veins spurring him to investigate himself in ways he hadn't before.

The knowledge of what he was doing and how to do it filtered into his mind. Natsu didn't even stop to question why that was possible, his mind was just too overwhelmed with how nice it all felt for him to even consider stopping.

Lucy's face filled his mind as his breath quickened and his pace began to pick up, his hips tensing and rocking up into his hand. He bit his bottom lip, a flush rushing to his cheeks as his blood roared in his ears.

He gasped as his pleasure mounted, building to such an unbearable degree Natsu was certain he would burn up before he reached the end.

Growls spilled from his throat and his head fell back when suddenly he felt that band snap violently in his gut, a rush of pleasure flashing through his body and making his limbs turn to liquid.

####

He huffed out a tired breath and rolled backwards in the sand, somewhat exhausted and feeling a little confused over what had just happened to him.

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 _Metallicana smirked a little at the reaction, "Come on. I'm afraid we have to leave as quickly as possible. The early morning fisherman are no doubt already out, but we should try to avoid arriving when there's more traffic."_

 _"Right." Lucy replied as they joined the others and smiled as the tribe gathered around to see them off._

 _"Thank you so much for everything you've done for us." She told Bobo sincerely, "You didn't have to do any of it, and we're really grateful."_

 _Bobo chuckled, "It was our pleasure Lucy. It's not often we get to strike back at Tartaros even a little, and it's heartening to know that there are some who want this perpetual war to end. I hope you'll come back to visit for a while once everything is settled." He grinned, "We'll even build you a permanent hut!"_

 _"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Lucy laughed, "But I would love to come back one of these days and relax for a while."_

 _"Yeah!" Levy agreed enthusiastically, "We could explore that temple you talked about!"_

 _"Uh... maybe you and Gajeel can do that!" Lucy replied nervously, "The last time we explored a temple together I wound up bonded with Natsu. Not that I mind that now or anything, but it would be just our luck if you found a demon frozen in ice underneath the temple or something!"_

 _Levy laughed, "Aw, c'mon Lu! What are the odds of that? We're on a **tropical** island!"_


	28. Nereid

_Hey guys! Sorry this one is so late. It took me literally all day to think of a title that even vaguely fit this chapter lol. Here's hoping next chapter is a little less problematic._

 _A quick note of housekeeping... I have been alerted that we have some folks, including myself, who have been spoiling both the plot for Golem and the current Manga in their reviews or other comments. It's honestly not something I really thought about since I'm up to date on both, but now that it's been brought to my attention I need to ask that everyone who has done such please don't do it in the future. Some people haven't read the latest chapter of the manga, or might be perusing the comments to see if they want to read the story, and they get spoilers for both. So out of respect for those people, please keep your reviews spoiler free. Thanks! ~~Kytrin_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 28**

 ** _Nereid_**

 _The Nereids were sea nymphs in Greek mythology, fifty in total, daughters of Nereus and Doris. They helped sailors on their voyages when they faced fierce storms. They lived with their father in the depths of the Aegean Sea._

* * *

Natsu groaned softly early the next morning as the sun crept over the water and onto the beach he hadn't left yet. He cracked open his eyes from where he was still sprawled out on the blanket completely naked, and stretched languidly.

The night before had been insane. To say the least.

The moment he'd gotten up to join Lucy the fresh memory of her half naked and under his hands had bubbled to the surface. He'd been helpless before the wave of heat and lust it had brought up again, and his knees had buckled at the first touch of his hand.

After two more attempts he'd finally given up and spread the blanket back out so he could at least get comfortable while he worked through the raging heat the merest thought of Lucy seemed to spark in him.

He sat up and stretched again, his body feeling pleasantly achy from the workout he'd given it. He ignored it though as he got up and splashed some of the seawater on himself to clean up before getting dressed. Lucy would no doubt be worried that he hadn't returned yet. As much as he regretted he hadn't gone back to her, there hadn't been any way to avoid it. He simply hadn't been able to trust himself around his mistress not to do something she might regret.

Because even he knew that though his Lucy desired him, that didn't mean she wanted him beyond the physical. And while he would be willing to give her whatever she wanted normally, there was a part of him that was starting to resist the idea. It had taken root the night before as he'd worked through his own feelings, and he knew that as much as he wanted her he wanted her to feel more than lust and friendship for him in return.

Anything else just seemed... distasteful.

He felt a bit uncomfortably raw and tender in some places he couldn't exactly bring up as he started the trek back to the village, but he was glad that tight simmer in his belly had completely vanished. It seemed like working through four hundred years of pent up... _everything_ was bound to make him suffer for it.

He was just glad he was a demon, because he felt like he had to drink three gallons of water now.

Now that he had a clearer head, he realized that at some point in the night, Lucy must have felt the same way as him. He had no way of knowing when she began to desire him or why, he only knew and felt things she wanted. But he was certainly not averse to the idea. As last night had proved.

He had the potential for everything, so Natsu wasn't sure where one began and ended. All of this might have been caused by Lucy's subconscious desires. And he certainly didn't want to bring that up, especially if she hadn't brought it to his attention herself.

He touched his hand to his chest, feeling over where his heart beat strong. Where did the line form between the love a friend had for someone, and romantic love?

Or was there a line at all?

He barely knew what he felt, so he wasn't even going to try to figure out what his mistress wanted. He was rarely right anyway.

Still, he adjusted the loops in his belt and ran off with the blanket and platter tucked under his arm. They would be heading out today, and Natsu was a little embarrassed to realize his day had started the slowest out of everyone's.

He supposed it was about time he got more in touch with his demonic side anyway. Natsu shrugged and loped off to find Lucy.

He was grateful he didn't get any comments or even sideways looks as he headed to the hut they'd been assigned. Fortunately, it seemed like the demons had all had sex on their minds the night before as many were disheveled and some were limping the same way he was. That suited him just fine.

He was also pleased as he ducked into their hut to find Lucy wasn't much ahead of him in terms of starting the day. She was dressed and everything, but was only just packing their stuff back up.

He couldn't resist pausing for a moment as she looked up at him to run his eyes over her. Now that he understood things in a way he hadn't before things were popping out at him that he hadn't paid attention to previously.

Like the enticing curve of her butt that made him want to grab hold of it and not let go, or sink his fangs into it and mark it as his. Or the even more distracting curve of her chest. He'd never paid attention to his mistress' breasts before last night except in the abstract, but suddenly he wanted to explore every inch of them until she was moaning and gasping underneath him.

"Hey Natsu!" She greeted cheerfully, snapping his attention guiltily away from her assets, "What happened to you last night? I woke up and you weren't here."

He flashed her a grin and shrugged, "I fell asleep on the beach after we parted ways."

As usual, it wasn't a lie if he was bending the truth. Even if he omitted many of the details of what he _had_ been doing. Gods, it was like puberty had hit him like a brick and just kept smacking him.

Still, her smile made him relax and he moved to the bag to help her finish up, "Sorry if I worried you."

"It's okay," Lucy smiled at him, her eyes pulling over his somewhat disheveled appearance. He was walking a bit strangely, like there was a sway to his shoulders and hips that hadn't been there before. She wondered if he had slept on a rock on accident with just a blanket to protect him from the ground.

In fact she was a little grateful he had taken the time to sleep for himself on the beach. Lucy had needed a bit of time to herself in private.

Shaking off the guilty trend her thoughts were taking, she hopped up to set a hand on his arm.

"Well I hope you're up to a bit of travel, Metallicana is going to drop us off at Hargeon, but then he's going to leave," Lucy explained. Going over their plans Gajeel had relayed to her earlier when she woke up.

It was an excellent distraction from her confused feelings of Natsu.

Natsu frowned a little, "Won't the sight of a dragon bearing down on Hargeon cause a panic?" He asked in concern as they stepped back outside, "I mean, it can't be that often they're seen right?"

"It would be a problem if I intended to drop you off directly on Harjeon." Metallicana answered easily as he walked up to them, "Fortunately, there's quite a bit of beach relatively nearby that will keep you out of the town's sight. You'll have to walk back from there, but it will beat being in a boat."

Natsu felt his stomach churn at just the thought of being in one of those horrifying things again, and he nodded, "Sounds good."

Metallicana smirked a little at the reaction, "Come on. I'm afraid we have to leave as quickly as possible. The early morning fisherman are no doubt already out, but we should try to avoid arriving when there's more traffic."

"Right." Lucy replied as they joined the others and smiled as the tribe gathered around to see them off.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for us." She told Bobo sincerely, "You didn't have to do any of it, and we're really grateful."

Bobo chuckled, "It was our pleasure Lucy. It's not often we get to strike back at Tartaros even a little, and it's heartening to know that there are some who want this perpetual war to end. I hope you'll come back to visit for a while once everything is settled." He grinned, "We'll even build you a permanent hut!"

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Lucy laughed, "But I would love to come back one of these days and relax for a while."

"Yeah!" Levy agreed enthusiastically, "We could explore that temple you talked about!"

"Uh... maybe you and Gajeel can do that!" Lucy replied nervously, "The last time we explored a temple together I wound up bonded with Natsu. Not that I mind that now or anything, but it would be just our luck if you found a demon frozen in ice underneath the temple or something!"

Levy laughed, "Aw, c'mon Lu! What are the odds of that? We're on a _tropical_ island!"

"Quit yer dreamin' girlies," Gajeel grunted as he headed over to Metallicana. His father was already in the midst of shifting forms, bulking up in size until he towered over them once again.

"Lets just get goin,' we're already burning daylight talkin' about imaginary demons." Gajeel grunted.

Natsu blinked as he hopped up onto Metallicana's claw and extended his arms to help Lucy and Levy clamber up. He reclined back on the claw, his eyes flickering over to Gajeel.

"You think there really might be another demon like me out there somewhere? Sealed away in a temple like Galuna?" Natsu asked, his eyes wide.

He knew it was impossible. He had been created, all the history books said as much...

But he couldn't help the sudden and wild hope that gripped him. The hope that there could be another demon sealed away like he had been.

"Sorry Salamander, ain't nobody quite like you," Gajeel grunted.

Natsu crossed his arms in disappointment, even as Metallicana flapped up into the air. He stuck his head out between the cracks of his talons and waved farewell to their demon friends.

"Bye!" He shouted, Lucy and Levy doing the same, "We'll see you soon! Thanks a bunch!"

-::-

The flight back was, mercifully, smooth and uneventful. There didn't appear to be any problems with motion sickness this time either, and for a creature the size of a large building Metallicana proved surprisingly adept at staying out of human sight. He dropped gently to the ground a little ways from Hargeon and let them off.

"Good luck with my brother." He told them, "I expect you'll need it."

"The hell kind of encouraging words are those?" Gajeel demanded crossly, but Metallicana just laughed.

"Take care of my son little blue." He told Levy with a smirk, "And see if you can do something about that vile look in his eyes."

"Oi! You shouldn't ignore people!" Gajeel snarled, "And there's nothin' wrong with my damn eyes old man!"

Metallicana smirked and bumped his nose into Gajeel's chest before backing away and flapping into the air.

"I like him," Levy laughed, nudging Gajeel's side with her elbow, "He knows just what to do to push your buttons, doesn't he?"

"He's my old man," Gajeel admitted, "I expect he would."

"Still, it's a shame he couldn't drop us right off at Igneel's place," Lucy sighed, "Old Fort is so far away, it could be months before we get there."

Chelia set her hands on her hips as they approached the town, "It can't be helped though, can it?"

"I mean, there isn't another way to Old Fort, and not many people take carriages that way, for obvious reasons," She shuddered. Natsu quirked his head towards her.

"What reasons are those?" He questioned, and Lucy had to remember that some information was not known to him. Natsu still didn't fully understand the world.

"Because of the railroad." She explained grimly, "Or, rather, a very specific railroad track. It was built before the start of the war, back when human technology was much more advanced than it is now. It was called a bullet train, and at one time provided very fast travel across Fiore."

She shivered, "After the demons bombed the stations to keep it from acting as a supply line it was abandoned by humans completely, and since there are parts of it that travel underground through mountains and similar places it's been taken over by low level demons and other monsters."

"Travel anywhere near it is a death wish for most." Chelia continued, "Wizards are the only ones who can risk going anywhere near it, and not even they always make it back out."

"Why would anyone go near a place like that?" Natsu asked in confusion, "If it's so dangerous..."

Lucy shrugged, "There's a wealth of artifacts and materials left at the few stations that remain intact, and the metal that makes up the tracks themselves is valuable. Treasure hunters have been after it for centuries, but most don't make it back alive let alone with any treasure."

"An' that's exactly where we need to go." Gajeel rumbled grimly, "That track leads straight to Old Fort from Hargeon. It's the fastest way to reach the nest."

"Are you crazy?!" Lucy protested, "We'll have to be on our guard twenty-four seven just to survive out there!"

"It's better that than the alternative!" Gajeel growled, "Besides bein' the fastest way to the nest it's the one place Tartaros won't look for us. They're still on the lookout for us but they won't look for us to head straight into the monster's teeth like that."

There was silence as the group considered Gajeel's points. Natsu however clapped his hand over a fist. A bloom of fire puffed out from the contact, but he smiled somewhat viciously.

"A fight from here to Old Fort? Sounds like a party," He growled, "I'll make those monsters ever regret trying to come after us!"

Lucy had to disagree on that front, but Natsu looked so confident it was hard not to think he had a point. Even if she wondered what made him so confident.

"That's an awful lot of talk from you," Gajeel didn't seem convinced by Natsu's bravado.

It was Levy however, that seemed to put more pieces together than the others. She dropped her bag with a gasp, and began to rifle through it.

"What're you doin' shrimp?" Gajeel asked, crouching down beside her. She was so distracted, she didn't notice how close he was to her until she whipped out a book from her bag and nearly clocked him right across the face with it.

Still not noticing, she cracked it open, revealing her field journal notes and several pictures from the temple she had visited with Levy. It seemed to have been years ago since she had last seen them.

"Do you remember when we found Natsu?" She asked, practically vibrating with excitement, "Monsters tried to attack us coming out of the temple, but Natsu was able to stop them in their tracks."

"Was this before or after he ripped them apart?" Lucy asked, somewhat dryly.

Natsu peeked over Levy's shoulder, "I did what now?"

His question went ignored when they looked at one another. Levy smiled fiercely, "Monsters are subservant to Demons! There's a chance Natsu can get them to hold off on attacking us!"

Lucy's expression lit up, "That's right! I'd forgotten about that!"

"What're you talking about?" Natsu asked in frustration.

"It was the day we found you." Levy replied, "Some monsters were attracted to the site. They probably sensed the magic being used when the bond was formed. You were able to stop them from attacking us." She grimaced, "At least until one headed for Lucy. Then you tore them to pieces."

"The point is," Lucy interrupted, "If you could assert your dominance over them then it's likely they'll leave us alone. We would still have to be careful, but that might take our trip down from completely insane to dangerous but doable."

Natsu grinned fiercely, "I can definitely do that!" He purred eagerly, "Those monsters won't know what hit them!"

In truth, he was itching for a fight. It seemed his libido wasn't the only thing he'd awoken the night before. He was coursing with all kinds of primal urges that made him want to prove he was the most fearsome demon for a reason.

"That settles it then." Gajeel replied with a hint of satisfaction, and turned to Chelia, "You don't have to join us for this. We'd be real grateful for your help, but this ain't your mission."

Chelia shook her head regretfully, "I'm sorry, but I have to stay. I'm one of the more powerful wizards in Lamia Scale, and they'll need me here. Especially now that Tartaros is hunting for Natsu."

"It's alright Chelia." Lucy replied warmly, "We understand perfectly."

Chelia smiled back, "Lucy, you really are full of love. I'm sure you'll make it through, and when you come back stop by Lamia Scale before you head back to Magnolia. We'll throw a party for your success!"

Natsu grinned and leaned forward to sweep Chelia into a hug. After all, she had been serving as his little demon sister during their stay on Galuna and he had grown to like the girl.

"Ack!" Chelia squeaked as Natsu had her hoisted in the air with one hand. He passed her over to Gajeel, who blinked with some confusion over why he was being handed an entire person.

Natsu just patted the top of her head.

"Stay safe okay? Hargeon is bound to get some heat for harboring us," He crooked her a smile.

"Which makes us leaving a high priority," Levy sighed and walked over to Chelia to hug her goodbye with Lucy.

"We'll see you soon, and thank the others in Lamia Scale again for lending you to us for the time being. We appreciate it," Lucy squeezed her firmly.

Chelia looked a little torn up about leaving them too, but she hugged them all back.

"You all better hurry as soon as you can," She sighed, "I don't know how the town would react to having you guys here if Tartaros _did_ pay us a visit."

"Not something I want to contemplate." Lucy shivered.

"Probably best if we didn't get near town at all." Gajeel grunted in agreement, "We'll circle around the long way and hit the tracks further north."

Lucy nodded and gave Chelia one last hug, "Thanks again for all your help. We'll see you when we get back."

They pulled reluctantly away and headed off, pausing to wave every few steps until they rounded a bend and Chelia vanished from sight.

"I'm going to miss her." Lucy murmured, and Nastu dropped a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Luce. We'll see her again." He grinned broadly at her, "Now let's go show some monsters who's boss and get this dragon king to fight!"

Lucy smiled back at him, feeling strangely optimistic about their chances in the face of his smile, "Yeah! We can do this!"

* * *

 ** _Special thanks and love to all of our lovely reviewers! It's late in the day, and I'm tired, so I'm gonna forego the name copy/paste thing again (surprise, surprise), but you all rock! Enjoy your sneak peek!_**

* * *

 ** _As a reminder... 30 REVIEWS OR MORE EARNS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _"It's an Exceed!" Lucy gasped in shock as Natsu knelt down in front of the terrified feline._

 _"What's an Exceed?" Natsu asked in confusion._

 _"One of the sentient magical races." Gajeel rumbled, "I'd heard Igneel invited them to live on his lands after demons tore theirs apart, but I've never met one."_

 _"D-don't eat me!" The blue cat cried, "I'm stringy and I don't taste good! Honest!"_

 _"Natsu, his wing!" Lucy gasped, and Natsu nodded as he reached out and picked up the shivering ball of fur and feathers._

 _"Relax." He told the cat, "We're not gonna eat you."_

 _"I mean, not right away at least, we've still got some food rations left," Natsu grinned at the cat, whose eyes darted from person to person._

 _"Natsu!" Lucy scolded him, and Natsu hunched his shoulders._

 _"I'm just kidding," He soothed the cat and curled his hands underneath the Exceed's small arms, "This is a pretty rough place for a little guy like you to be wandering around."_

 _"I got separated from my friends and when I fell, I hurt my wing," the Exceed said hesitantly, his eyes wide as he expected the monsters to spring and attack them at any moment._


	29. Dragon

_Hey guys! It's Mslead again! I think we had a bit of confusion over our request for spoilers. You're more than allowed to talk about the chapter, just please don't list spoilers of the story as a whole (guessing is totally fine), just not listing every thing that's happened up until this point. So go ahead, talk to us about the chapter! Just don't spoil the WHOLE story._

 _Personally, I read reviews for stories before I get into them if they haven't been recommended by a friend. (also there's a filter for spoilers? holy crap I did not know this?)_

 _Also, we're talking about the main story as well. I haven't been keeping up with the manga, so everyone screaming in panic every Monday or Tuesday morning in my inbox is frankly TERRIFYING. (seriously, wat. wat. WAT!?)_

 _Also please don't be rude to Kytrin when she responds to reviews guys. If you don't want a review response, then... review anon? She didn't have to update in my stead while I've been working out my family issues._

 ** _For those of you who don't know, my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and we've been making the transition to have her live with us. Updating this fic hasn't been a priority for me but Kytrin has really stepped up to the plate. So please, show her a shred of respect for carrying on. She did it for you guys, so please be kind?_**

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 29**

 ** _Dragon_**

 _a mythical monster like a giant reptile. In European tradition the dragon is typically fire-breathing and tends to symbolize chaos or evil, whereas in East Asia it is usually a beneficent symbol of fertility, associated with water and the heavens._

* * *

To say their trip through the railroad was interesting was an understatement of the most severe kind.

Not only was it crippling dark through the tunnels, to such a degree that Natsu had to light a path, they had to fend off low level demons and monsters at every turn.

It wasn't as bad as it would have been though. Natsu roared angrily at several monsters that came too close, asserting himself in a bloody way that was the only way the monsters could understand at times. Though it was far from perfect. Several of the monsters had formed packs within the tunnels, and as they walked, they were stalked from behind and above by the creatures that wanted a piece of them.

The most dangerous time was when Natsu was asleep. While it was true he didn't sleep much, he _did_ require rest from time to time, and that was unfortunately when the monsters were more likely to attack them.

They kept watch in turns to help give him a chance to rest, although there were a few times where Natsu had nodded off on _his_ watch and found that a demon dog had dragged him halfway down the rails to try and separate him from the others.

"How much further do we have to go?" Lucy asked quietly near the end of their long journey as they watched the monsters around them warily. It was extremely unnerving to constantly be surrounded even if the monsters themselves were out of sight half the time. She could still feel their eyes on them, and sincerely wished they were there already.

"Not long." Gajeel grunted, his eyes narrowed on the eyes or glimpse of body in the darkness around them, "We're about a half day to a day from the end of the tunnel itself. Then it's another day or two to the edge of Igneel's territory."

"At least that means we'll be out of the dark soon." Levy groaned.

"Yeah." Lucy agreed, casting Natsu a worried glance. He'd kept a strong vigil on them all this time, but he was starting to show his exhaustion and strain clearly. He would need to rest, and soon, for as long an uninterrupted time as possible.

She was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of a scuffle ahead and a terrified scream that jolted their entire group back into alertness.

"What was that?" She asked in shock, and Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"I dunno." He growled, "But I'm gonna find out!"

He bared his fangs as he lunged towards the voice, prompting the others to run with them lest they be left in the dark, and kicked and punched the monsters there out of the way to discover they'd been surrounding... a blue cat with wings?

"It's an Exceed!" Lucy gasped in shock as Natsu knelt down in front of the terrified feline.

"What's an Exceed?" Natsu asked in confusion.

"One of the sentient magical races." Gajeel rumbled, "I'd heard Igneel invited them to live on his lands after demons tore theirs apart, but I've never met one."

"D-don't eat me!" The blue cat cried, "I'm stringy and I don't taste good! Honest!"

"Natsu, his wing!" Lucy gasped, and Natsu nodded as he reached out and picked up the shivering ball of fur and feathers.

"Relax." He told the cat, "We're not gonna eat you."

"I mean, not right away at least, we've still got some food rations left," Natsu grinned at the cat, whose eyes darted from person to person.

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded him, and Natsu hunched his shoulders.

"I'm just kidding," He soothed the cat and curled his hands underneath the Exceed's small arms, "This is a pretty rough place for a little guy like you to be wandering around."

"I got separated from my friends and when I fell, I hurt my wing," the Exceed said hesitantly, his eyes wide as he expected the monsters to spring and attack them at any moment.

Catching where his gaze was going, Natsu gave him a tired smile, "Don't worry about them. So long as I'm awake they're not going to be able to hurt you. Promise."

He smothered out a broken yawn, but struggled to his feet. Natsu blinked as a monster growled and edged closer, clearly wanting the blue furry treat he was holding.

Natsu bared his fangs at the monster and snarled warningly.

Satisfied when the creature backed down, he looked back at the small furball in his arms, "My name is Natsu, what's yours?"

"H-Happy!" He proclaimed.

But he hesitated as he looked between them, "That was incredible, you just told those monsters to back off and they did!"

Natsu shrugged a shoulder and smiled crookedly, "Guess they did, huh?"

"Are you from Igneel's territory Happy?" Lucy asked curiously, and was pleased to see a smile cross the feline's face in response.

"Aye!" He squeaked, "The Dragon King gave us sanctuary before I was born after some demons tried to kill everyone. We have a whole valley to live in, and in return we grow food and make things for the dragons."

"Sounds like a nice arrangement!" Natsu grinned, pleased with the distraction Lucy's questions had created, "But what were you doing all the way out here?"

"Training," Happy sighed, "I wanna get stronger in magic, so I came out here to train."

"I'm sure you'll get back on your feet and flying in no time!" Natsu laughed enthusiastically.

If there was one thing he could appreciate it was wanting to get stronger. Happy didn't look like much, and if he was a standard example of his kind then they couldn't be strong magically, but Natsu approved of him trying anyway. Even if the results had been a bit mixed this time around.

"Maybe sooner than we think!" Lucy crowed excitedly and pointed, "Look! I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel!"

"Oh my gods!" Levy gasped, "I see it too!"

The group which had previously been dragging and exhausted seemed to find new energy as the end of their hellish trip was finally in sight.

Gajeel grunted low in his throat but there was an eager light in his eyes that they all reflected. Natsu bundled his arms around Happy, fire erupting under his ankles for a moment before he took the lead.

As eager as he was to charge of, he didn't want to risk leaving the others behind or damaging the cat in his arms. But his worries were unfounded as they all made it out into the open. Soon Natsu slowed his pace, dropping his run into a jog, and finally a walk. He swayed on the spot, and quickly set their new friend down at his feet.

As they made their way to freedom out of the monster's territory, Natsu fell into a sudden and not totally unexpected sleep. Gajeel burst out in laughter at the sight of the demon sleeping with his butt in the air.

No one noticed a figure break away from one of the monster's pack.

It was one of the more intelligent monsters, and it had something to report to the ones that commanded it's pack.

-::-

Once Natsu crawled back awake after the impromptu nap he had taken, they resumed their journey to Igneel's nest with Happy in tow.

The cat seemed nervous his would be saviors would be heading into such territory, and more than once he tried to warn them off their plan. The dragons were extremely hostile to humans.

But they didn't slow their pace. They had been traveling to the nest for so long, the fact that their prize was finally so close only seemed to galvanize them.

So when Gajeel switched places with Natsu, and the demon hung back to keep an eye on their collective backs, they all knew the time to meet the dragons was soon.

Old Fort was huge. It was a giant hole cut out of the mountain itself, a magical barrier cast around its boundaries to alert whoever was within to their presence.

Natsu looked around in awe, spotting large holes decorating all over the mountain, each one used for a dragon and their personal nest no doubt.

"Guys wait, wait," Happy tried one last time, "It's not safe for you all, you should try a different time!"

"And why is that?" Levy asked Happy, who had jumped over Lucy's shoulder to plant face first in Natsu's chest.

"Because it's morning, and that one of the nest's fiercest guards will be out!" Happy protested, "He's-"

"Right here." A dangerous voice purred above them, and they all looked up as one to find an enormous white dragon perched on a ledge above them.

Before they could do more than gawk the dragon stood up and leapt off the ledge he was on, shrinking in size as he fell until he dropped down in front of them in his human form, "So what have we got here?" He smirked, his fangs flashing threateningly, "A bunch of humans come to call hm?"

He prowled towards them, every inch of him screaming dangerous threat, "Happy should know better, but I guess the little guy tried his warnings. That was really stupid to ignore him you know." Light began to gather around one of his fists, "We're not real fond of humans around here. Especially nosey ones who show up uninvited!"

Natsu's eyes widened for a moment as the dragon rushed towards them and before he could think he'd rushed forward to meet the attack with one of his own.

"I didn't know it was dragon etiquette to attack people unprovoked!" He snarled, furious at the idea that this asshole, whoever he was, had tried to something like that. Especially since Lucy was directly in his line of fire.

"I attack any threats to my nest!" The dragon snarled back, his other fist balling with light as he swing at Natsu, "And all humans are threats!"

Natsu didn't have a chance to block the attack and was sent flying before he twisted himself around to land on his feet, "You don't even know why we're here!" He roared as his flames burst into being around him.

The sight of the flames seemed to startle the dragon for a moment, but Natsu no longer cared. He was pissed. This guy was attacking them without provocation and something inside him was snarling furiously at the attack, and he wasn't inclined to ignore it.

It seemed the dragon agreed as his eyes narrowed, "It doesn't matter why you're here. I'll kill you all and that will end the threat."

Natsu's power surged angrily at the threat to his _mistress_ , and flames erupted all over him, "YOU WANNA GO ASSHOLE?!" He roared loudly, loudly enough to startle Gajeel, "LET'S FUCKING GO!"

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped in alarm and took a step forward. She was stopped from advancing even a step by Gajeel's hand.

"Don't," Gajeel's eyes were calculating and casting over the faces of the ledges. He seemed to have spotted something Lucy hadn't and wanted to watch this play out.

Dragons were so frustrating at times, they really were.

A loud crack! echoed across the mountain, drawing her attention back to the fight.

Natsu had managed to crouch and spring forward, his hand wrapping around the dragon's throat. The light dragon looked stunned by the sudden move, but Natsu's grip tightened and he roared.

His body twisted in a tight spiral and Natsu was able to use the momentum to lift his opponent's feet off the ground and crush his head into the ground. Fire licked out angrily around his mouth as he slammed a knee into the dragon's sternum.

He took a deep breath for his flames to gather in his chest. His eyes were slitted in anger and he driven by the instinct to protect his mistress as he ground the man's cheek into the ground, getting ready to release his flames and at least make this dragon a crispy reminder not to hurt his friends or mistress.

He stopped cold though when a sudden shadow shifted over them. It was heavy and covered all the light.

Natsu's body stiffened up from his position on the dragon as the one that had taken flight over head and was slowly coming down for a landing, demanded his full attention.

"Now you've done it," The dragon smirked, "You woke up the old man."

Natsu, however, wasn't listening.

He was staring up at the enormous red dragon slowly circling in to land, and felt something he didn't fully understand erupt within him. He dropped to his knees, unable to tear his eyes away, and felt a surge of instinctive terror overwhelm him. His entire being narrowed to the dragon and his approach. The flames he summoned puffed out uselessly from around his mouth.

He didn't hear Lucy calling him in worry, or the light dragon looking at him strangely and asking him what his problem was.

When the giant dragon finally landed with a thump that seemed to rattle his bones and began prowling towards him, Natsu ducked down and began to whine hysterically in submission.

He was in terrible trouble. He just knew it. He'd been loud when he shouldn't have been, and now he was in trouble!

"No way..." Gajeel breathed, his eyes wide as he watched Natsu prostrate himself before Igneel like an errant hatchling in serious trouble.

"Gajeel what's wrong with him?" Lucy asked worriedly.

Gajeel, however, didn't answer as Igneel regarded this unexpected development with first surprise, and then curiosity. He leaned over and pressed his muzzle against Natsu's back and huffed a breath of hot air over him, growling soothingly at the distressed demon.

Almost immediately Natsu relaxed and he let out an inquisitive whine that had the white dragon gawking in shock.

"You're not in trouble hatchling." Igneel rumbled as he sat back, "But I am extremely confused over who you are and how you came to be traveling with humans." He shot the white dragon a slightly steely look, "And how you came to be fighting with my son."

Natsu felt extremely confused himself. He opened his mouth and closed it, not able to find the words he was looking for. It was like everything Lucy had taught him over the past months had completely fled out of his head.

He couldn't remember a single thing to say, and further, he had no idea what happened to him. The scent of the dragon was warm like a campfire and Natsu felt as if it crackled soothingly against his very soul.

Gajeel approached instead, moving in towards the great dragon and bowing his head towards him.

"That would be because of me and my old man," Gajeel looked at Igneel. His heart beat nervously, knowing giving away his parentage could get his father into trouble, but also knowing they had been ready to take that risk if they got this far.

"My dad is Metallicana, your brother, my name is Gajeel," he gestured towards the dazed demon, "And this is Zeref's demon END, also your son."

Natsu's head snapped up at that, his eyes widening on Gajeel. His ears picked up Lucy's gasp, and the confused murmur of Levy.

There were murmurs and growls all around them, and it became clear they had a full audience, even if they couldn't see all the dragons around.

Igneel's face was at first stunned with shock, and then went stony as the words processed Gajeel's words, "My firstborn died by the hands of humans over four hundred years ago."

"The same time END was created," Gajeel responded without missing a beat. He gestured towards the other dragon Natsu had fought with, "You're gonna tell me that family resemblance is a coincidence? If I remember right, your sons were twins."

"Oh my gods!" Levy exclaimed in mingled shock and horror, "That's what the writing was talking about!" She dove into her pack, ignoring the dragon staring at her with narrowed eyes and started rifling around.

"Uh, Levy?" Lucy asked nervously, splitting her attention between the dragons and Natsu, "I don't suppose you want to elaborate on that a little?"

"The writings Lu!" Levy explained as she retrieved her lacrima containing the images of the door and pulled them up, "The ones we found with Natsu. I haven't deciphered it completely, but look here." She pointed at a section, "This talks about harnessing the power of a dragon! What if it wasn't a reference to _mimicking_ dragons, but something more direct?"

"You mean Zeref somehow turned a dragon into Natsu?" Lucy asked in complete confusion, "But I don't understand how that's even possible..."

They were interrupted by an elegant hand gently plucking the lacrima out of Levy's hands, making them both jump a little in surprise. The owner of said hand, an equally elegant and beautiful woman, narrowed her eyes as she studied Levy's images.

"You're not far wrong young one." The woman, who _had_ to be Igneel's mate from her bearing alone, murmured, "Your translation isn't entirely accurate, but it hardly matters as _I_ can read this inscription." Her eyes were filled with such pain Lucy involuntarily reached out to comfort her, "Igneel. You must see this."

Igneel shifted a little, his stony expression hardening further, but he shifted down into his human form and prowled over to join them, "Surely you don't _believe_ them do you my queen?"

"I'm not sure what to believe," She confessed, but held up the gem for Igneel to look at more closely, "However this cannot be ignored Igneel. Look."

"The designs here, this isn't a story or just a warning," She pressed a hand over her mouth, "But they are _ingredients_."

Lucy watched the man's shoulders stiffen. He had long fiery hair, braided down his back. His eyes were slanted, and had a handsome face that reminded her so much of Natsu, the resemblance seemed obvious now.

His eyes flashed up to Natsu, where the demon was still kneeling, shell shocked.

Igneel glared over at Gajeel, who was watching the exchange with rapt attention. The words on the tombs inscription wrote out precisely what had been used in the spell.

"Etherious combined with the fire from the Dragon king's son," his brow creased, a shudder pushing through his shoulders. It seemed absorbing the information laying evident before them had shaken the dragon.

It seemed like the dragons were beginning to calm, as the shocking news laid out before them.

Everyone calmed.

Everyone except Natsu.

The demon let out a bellow of fury and leapt to his feet. He plowed headlong into Gajeel, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and slamming him into the ground.

"You _knew_!" Natsu accused, fire beginning to lick to life around his lips and singing through his fingers, "That was the reason you brought us here! You knew this whole damn time and you didn't say anything!"

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed in alarm and rushed over to him, "Let him go!" She grimaced at the angry look he shot her even as his hands began to uncurl on their own, "I'm sorry." She apologized, "But listen, there's not a way Gajeel could've known for sure. We only _just_ figured out where you come from!"

She knelt beside him and curled her hand around his bicep, "Please Natsu. At least let Gajeel explain himself. I don't know his reasons for keeping silent, but he's _not_ a linguist the way Levy is."

"But Lucy!" Natsu protested as he reluctantly pulled himself off Gajeel, "He had to have known _something_! If he didn't he wouldn't have been so sure!"

"I didn't know for sure." Gajeel grunted as he sat up, "I only knew what I saw and sensed. Natsu don't smell right for a demon. It wasn't easy to pick out at first, but he smells dragon under the demon." He scowled, "And he's started hoardin'."

"Demons don't hoard." He growled, "Ever. At least they don't hoard shiny things. Between that and what Levy said about the timin' I realized that as crazy as it was there was a chance."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lucy asked softly, her arms curled around the still growling Natsu.

Gajeel shot her a glare that did nothing for Natsu's blood pressure, "This ain't somethin' you guess about." He told her sharply, "I wasn't really sure until he started bawlin' like a frightened hatchling back there."

He shifted his attention to Natsu, "That whine ain't an ordinary whine runt. It's the kind you only dish out when you _know_ you've screwed up and you're trying to apologize before you get punished. And until you've got a queen, there's only two sets of people you give that whine to. Your parents an' your drake."

Natsu grit his teeth together and made an abortive attempt to lunge at Gajeel again. The orders held firm though and he slunk back.

He brushed himself off and stood up, "I suspected what you _could_ be when we fought in the Capital. You spared me because you smelled the dragon in me."

"And there was only one fire dragon that ever had any run ins with demons or Zeref before," Gajeel turned his attention towards Igneel.

"I knew Jellal was right, we won't get anywhere in this fight without outside help, but sending one of Zeref's demons into Igneel's nest is just suicide," Gajeel muttered, "You were gonna try anyway, so I had to make sure there was a chance you could survive an encounter with a nest of pissed off dragons."

"Jellal didn't know the history with Igneel, and it wasn't my place to tell a secret like that," Gajeel's eyes narrowed.

Natsu seemed to deflate, the hot air escaping him as he relaxed in Lucy's hold.

"I don't understand what's going on," Natsu rasped, looking very small. His eyes searching for Lucy's.

Gajeel sighed and turned to Igneel, "If you have doubts. You know there is _one_ way to clear this up."

Igneel frowned, looking hesitantly at the demon that would be his son. His heart twisted in his chest as he looked at Natsu's confused face. He could not deny the resemblance. It was uncanny.

"You mean for me to delve into his memories so we may see a complete history," Igneel answered.

Natsu's head lifted at that, his eyes growing suddenly wide.

"Can you do that?" His hoarse voice sounded so hopeful, it took Igneel by surprise.

Igneel blinked a little at the reaction he had not been expecting at all, "I can." He rumbled, "But most aren't eager to have that done..."

Natsu flushed a bit and looked away a little sulkily, "Most people don't have amnesia either." He grumbled, "I just thought if you could go in there maybe you could rattle something loose."

"Amnesia?" Igneel asked in surprise, feeling rather flat footed at the moment.

"He doesn't remember anything about his time before, er, before I bonded to him." Lucy trailed off a bit apologetically, not really sure how Natsu's potential parents would react to that bit of news, "Ahm, when we found him he was completely blank. Like a giant doll or something. It took several weeks before he woke up enough to even begin talking."

" _He_ is right here you know." Natsu sulked and Lucy shot him an exasperated glare.

"Well it's not like _you_ were going to explain all that!" She huffed.

Igneel firmly suppressed the smile that threatened to emerge at their interaction. It reminded him pointedly of himself and his very spirited queen, and despite the circumstances it amused him a little to see it.

"Very well." He interrupted before the pair could continue flirting with each other, "I can't promise your memories will come back on their own Natsu, but I will do what I can if they are worth remembering at all." He glanced at Lucy, "You may wish to stand back a little. Natsu may react violently to what I see."

Lucy nodded and stepped back, looking anxious, but giving Natsu her best encouraging smile as Igneel pinned him with an unflinching gaze.

There was a moment of complete silence as the world fell away.

Then Natsu began to scream.

* * *

AHAHAHAHA enjoy the cliffhanger peeps. ((puts on sunglasses and rolls on out))

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS GETS YOU A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _"What the?" Natsu whipped his head around, nearly whimpering at the sudden pain slicing through his throat. What the hell had happened to him? His voice was rough and it felt raw all the way down to his stomach._

 _The last thing he remembered was staring into Igneel's eyes. He had been about to ask Igneel when they could get started, when everything had just drifted away._

 _...And then he woke up in this place, feeling like he had just gone six rounds with the demons of Tartaros themselves at the same time._

 _"Oh! You're awake!" A small voice said eagerly by his side, and Natsu felt something cool and wet touch his forehead._

 _A small hand gently pushed him down by his shoulder. The owner of the hand was a small girl, with long blue hair and feathers woven into her hair, "Please relax. I'll get everyone! They'll be happy you're awake!"_

 _Before Natsu could protest or question what was going on and why he was chained down, the girl had fluttered off with light feet._


	30. Wendigo

_Happy fourth of July everyone! I know our updates have been a little rough, so thank you all for being so patient as we spend time with our families! Especially those of you who are indulgently watching us American's blow shit up!_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 30**

 _ **Wendigo**_

 _a cannibalistic giant; a person who has been transformed into a monster by the consumption of human flesh._

* * *

Natsu awoke suddenly, his head feeling foggy and a terrible ache in his side and throat. Groaning a bit, he found himself in totally different surroundings.

He was laying in a comfortable looking nest of pillows and blankets. But when he shifted too far, he found he was unable to move his arms.

Dazedly, he looked down at his wrists, seeing heavy metal and chain burned with script magic keeping his arms pinned down.

He flexed his fingers in confusion, his eyebrows raising at the sight of dried blood coating the tops of his fingers and clotting under his nails.

He looked around, this time growing a little concerned.

He felt a bandage wrapped around his neck, itching by how tight it had been applied, and another bandage snug around his middle.

"What the?" Natsu whipped his head around, nearly whimpering at the sudden pain slicing through his throat. What the hell had happened to him? His voice was rough and it felt raw all the way down to his stomach.

The last thing he remembered was staring into Igneel's eyes. He had been about to ask Igneel when they could get started, when everything had just drifted away.

...And then he woke up in this place, feeling like he had just gone six rounds with the demons of Tartaros themselves at the same time.

"Oh! You're awake!" A small voice said eagerly by his side, and Natsu felt something cool and wet touch his forehead.

A small hand gently pushed him down by his shoulder. The owner of the hand was a small girl, with long blue hair and feathers woven into her hair, "Please relax. I'll get everyone! They'll be happy you're awake!"

Before Natsu could protest or question what was going on and _why he was chained down_ , the girl had fluttered off with light feet.

It seemed the girl hadn't had far to go though as he heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards him only a few moments later, and suddenly, to his immense pleasure, Lucy's face filled his vision.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped as she rushed to his side to gingerly wrap her arms around the uninjured portions of him, "I'm so glad you're awake!"

"Now don't smother him dear." A soft voice laughed behind Lucy and Lucy pulled away to reveal Igneel's queen.

The dragoness stepped over to him, "Wendy dear, please get your brother some water. I'm certain he's very confused right now, and a sore throat won't help him."

"Okay!" The little girl, Wendy, chirped and rushed over to a counter while the dragoness settled on Natsu's other side and smiled at him in a way that had something in Natsu trembling with excitement. Almost unconsciously he whined softly in the back of his throat and tried to reach for her.

"Easy." The dragoness soothed as Wendy returned with the water, her smile widening, "Here." She shifted him so he was sitting up comfortably and able to drink the water, "I'm afraid the chains can't come off until your friend Levy removes them for you, but Sting has gone to get your father and the others so she should be here soon."

Natsu's eyes widened at the word 'father' and he choked a little on his water, "I... you mean... I'm really...?"

 _Your son._

The words could not seem to get past the lump that had lodged itself in his throat, but it seemed he didn't have to say them. The dragoness, _his mother_ , reached out and caressed his cheek gently.

"Yes Natsu." She murmured, her voice thick with emotion, "I'm your mother, Grandine."

The emotions those simple words stirred in him threatened to overwhelm him and Lucy curled her hand into his, heedless of the blood still there.

Natsu didn't even know what having a mother even meant. He didn't understand what he was supposed to do with that knowledge, so he just held more firmly onto Lucy's hand while his mind raced for something to hang onto.

"I-I don't understand," he admitted.

He shook his head, immediately regretting the decision as his neck throbbed in pain, "I mean, I don't _remember_."

"Wasn't Igneel supposed to look into my head? How come you guys know stuff but I still don't?" Natsu protested, not finding that fair at all.

Grandine opened her mouth, her eyes flashing to Lucy's in silent communication. Natsu caught the look, suspicion flaring in his gut but unsure what to make of it. His teeth gritted in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened. He was saved from asking a question he wasn't sure they'd answer, when the temperature rose in the room, signaling the approach of _his father._

"You don't have those memories, because there is nothing in your head to remember," Igneel's voice came from the entryway. His face looked pale, and Natsu's... brother, followed with a bandage around his head.

"Wait, what do you mean there's nothing to remember?" Natsu demanded, his eyes widening as he tugged in frustration at the chains holding him down.

He growled his displeasure but hunched his shoulders as Igneel approached him.

"The moment I pried open that space in your head, you..." Igneel trailed off.

Lucy's hand tightened around Natsu's almost painfully, and he looked at her in surprise.

"Natsu you hurt yourself," Lucy set a gentle hand over his bound middle, "Even when I tried to order you to stop, you didn't even hear me. It just got _worse_."

Natsu felt his blood freeze at that, "What do you mean it got worse?" He asked hoarsely, "I disobeyed you?"

"You panicked." Sting corrected grimly, "You weren't trying to hurt anyone. You were just hysterical and trying to get away and we got in the way."

Natsu swallowed a little at that, "How bad was it?"

Sting grimaced, "Gajeel was the first to react. You tore up his arms pretty good, but he'll be fine. I got nicked before dad was able to sit on you long enough to subdue you. The only one you didn't even get near was Lucy."

At least there was that mercy. Natsu felt bad about having attacked Gajeel and even Sting like that, but he never could've forgiven himself if he'd hurt Lucy as well.

"I guess that's why you got me chained up?" He asked.

Igneel nodded, "It was the only way to ensure you didn't continue to rampage while I dealt with your memories." His eyes narrowed, "Trust me Natsu, there's nothing in any of them you want to remember, and I will not have you go insane with guilt over something that was not your fault."

"Igneel removed your memories." Lucy elaborated quietly, "We couldn't think of another way to ensure they didn't hurt you anymore." A tear trickled down each cheek, "He's got them in his head now. He knows everything that happened to you under Zeref's orders."

Igneel nodded, looking like he wanted to reach out to Natsu, "Lucy is the first good thing to have happened to you son. If I were you I would hold onto that with all my strength, and move forward to be the person you were meant to be rather than trying to remember the monster Zeref forced you to become against your will."

Natsu opened his mouth and closed it. He grit his teeth as annoyance bubbled up in him. His memories were just gone now? Because he couldn't handle them?

He needed to know what was in his head. He _had_ to know. Couldn't they understand that deep desire to know where his life started? He had to find a way to make amends for what he had done in the past. And that meant knowing his past.

"I can't just forget!" Natsu protested, stubbornness setting in his jaw, "Even if you swiped me memories, I'll find a way to remember them. I _will_!"

There had to be something _important_ in his memory. Something he couldn't put his finger on. it just left a lingering impression, one Igneel would have no idea of understanding.

There had to be a safe way for him to get his memory back. And as grateful as he was to Igneel for keeping them safe... He had to find a way to know what Igneel had found out.

"This is for the best Natsu, please try to trust me on this, you do _not_ want to remember your past," Igneel vowed, "We have your best intentions at heart."

"Big whoop!" Natsu barked back at Igneel, his temper dulling into a challenging smirk "I'll figure out a way to get my memories out safely. The only way you'll get me to stop lookin' is if Lucy orders me not to!"

He blinked and turned to Lucy, whose lips were pressed together in a firm line. His smiled faltered a bit at the sight of the grim consideration on her face and his shoulders bunched.

"Lucy..?" Natsu asked. His voice was hesitant, and his heart sank at the tears still simmering in her eyes. Had it really been so awful for her?

"Natsu, it was bad," Lucy breathed out and squeezed his hand, "I only want the best for you. And this will _hurt_ you."

Her grip tightened on his hands as the tears spilled over, "I watched you." She whispered hoarsely, "The whole time. I watched you scream. I watched the fear on your face. I watched when you tried to escape."

She trailed her hands gently over his bandages and met his eyes, "I watched you try to kill yourself when you couldn't get away Natsu!" Her voice rose a little with each word, "You didn't get hurt fighting the others! You tried to gut yourself rather than face whatever Zeref had you doing in those memories! And when that didn't work you tried to claw out your own throat!"

"I can't watch that again!" She shouted hysterically, "I can't! You're my partner Natsu! My best friend! I care about you! I don't want you to die!" She buried her face in her hands, harsh sobs wracking her frame, "Please Natsu..." She begged between sobs, "Please don't make me choose right now..."

Natsu whined softly in his throat as Grandine moved around to wrap Lucy in a gentle hug, murmuring soothing words and growls. He'd never seen Lucy so upset about _anything_ before, and the sight of it tore at his heart.

He ached to put his arms around her and apologize for upsetting her so much, but Levy hadn't arrived yet, so he had to settle for scooting as close to her as he could.

"I'm sorry Lucy." He murmured sincerely, "I won't make you choose."

He knew how very difficult a choice that would be for her even when she wasn't so upset. She had always tried her very best to give him as much freedom as she knew how to. It meant a lot to her that he be free to choose things for himself, and he loved her for it.

He hadn't really thought before how difficult a choice it must've been just to have Igneel take the memories away from him, but now he thought he understood better. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure he could've done any better if it were her in his place.

And yet she hadn't made a snap decision. She'd asked him not to make her choose now.

Maybe she wouldn't ever choose. And maybe she would make a choice he didn't like. But he loved her even more for being willing to wait. To think on it when she was calmer. And maybe find a way for him to get what he'd lost without the effects.

Lucy seemed to relax in degrees at his quiet declaration, and he bent his head towards hers, straining to press his forehead against hers even despite the pain it brought to his neck.

She complied with his silent demand and he was happy when her fingers curled into his, seemingly understanding he wasn't angry.

In fact he felt a flare of guilt over how he had worried Lucy.

So to relieve some of it, he craned his neck and pressed a light kiss to the tip of her nose, hoping to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I just..."

Igneel, who had been watching the exchange the whole time, stepped forward. Grandine was dismantling herself from Lucy and joining her husband.

"There's no need to explain," Igneel rumbled like a storm. He swept over to Natsu's bedside, "This is a lot for you to take in. The loss of your memories."

"But we can deal with it all one step at a time," Igneel sighed, "I believe there were other things that requires our attention."

"Most of which can wait for the moment." Grandine interrupted firmly, "Natsu is still recovering my love, and I believe he's had quite enough excitement for one day."

Levy rushed in at that moment, looking very out of breath, "Sorry!" She panted, "I came as soon as I heard, but I got lost getting back!"

She shot Natsu a bright smile that he couldn't help returning, "I'm glad to see you're awake finally!" She exclaimed as she skipped over to the bed and began undoing the chains holding him down, "We were really worried you know. Even Gajeel." She rolled her eyes, "Not that the big lug would _ever_ admit it."

"Hah!" Natsu snorted , "I _knew_ that metalhead was getting soft and squishy!"

"I'll show you soft and squishy Salamander!" A voice roared from outside, making Natsu cackle gleefully, and much of the tension in the room dissipate.

Lucy and Levy shared a look and shook their heads as Levy undid the last of her work and the chains around Natsu fell away, "There!" She shot Natsu a stern look, "Now, I better not have to re-do those chains for any reason you hear me?"

Natsu exercised his new freedom by tugging Lucy gently forward and carefully wrapping his arms around her, "I hear ya." He rumbled softly, nuzzling her neck gently.

Grandine smiled fondly at the pair and nudged her mate, "I think we should let Natsu spend some time with his nest."

Igneel nodded and got up, "We'll be back later son." He promised, and paused a little awkwardly, "I realize this is a lot to take in, and it may be a bit late for this, but..."

He held out a small package to Natsu, who took it curiously, "It's your hatching gift." The dragon explained, "I made one for you and Sting both. I thought it was past time you received it."

Natsu paused, his eyes flashing right up to Igneel's face. His jaw dropped open and then pulled his full attention to the package. He even pulled away from Lucy a little to run his hands over the paper. With slow and deliberate motions, he unwrapped it with slightly shaking hands and felt a lump lodge in his throat at the sight of the pristine white scarf within. It was soft, and warm to the touch, and had a warmth that reminded him strongly of Igneel.

"It's made of your mother's scales." Igneel murmured, "And I enchanted it for protection."

He reached out and took Natsu's free hand in his own, but when he opened his mouth no words came out. Natsu didn't mind though. Igneel's expression said more than enough, and he felt a bloom of warmth in his heart at the emotion in the old dragon's eyes.

"Lucy, can you help me put it on?" He asked softly, not taking his eyes off his parents.

Lucy smiled and looped it gently around his neck, "I think it suits you."

She thought there was something perfect about the way it draped over his neck. It did a good job at hiding the bandages around his neck, but more than that, it seemed like a part of him.

The scarf was sleek and felt extremely soft to the touch. Lucy wondered if perhaps the magical artifact had meant to be his baby blanket of sorts.

Functional and meant to grow with the user.

Dragons were practical, especially when it came to using their rare and valuable scales. A treasure in their own right.

Lucy smiled as she watched Natsu run cherishing hands over the material, a hopeful and somewhat goofy smile lighting his face.

Somehow, Lucy knew just by looking at him, that the scarf was as much a part of Natsu, as his sunny smile and devious nature.

It was perfect.

* * *

 ** _Thank you again loves! This concludes the end of ACT 2! Our last ACT starts next chapter :D So it's all downhill from there. Hahahaha._**

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _Lucy was giving him space to adjust to it. But in truth, he missed her. She was off exploring one end of the nest to the next while he was here trying to learn how dragons worked. And in truth, he wondered if she was avoiding him for some reason._

 _He let out a depressive sigh as he curled a fist under his chin._

 _All the space she gave him, it made him think she didn't want to see him. Not since the disastrous memory attempt. Natsu figured she was still badly shaken from the whole thing, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her until the horrors he made her witness faded from her mind._

 _Grandine's expression softened a bit at his pouty look. She knew that expression only too well. She'd seen it on Natsu's father the times he'd been missing her or Sting._

 _She smiled at him, "Missing your queen?" She asked knowingly, and let out an airy laugh when he flushed and started to sputter denials, "Don't deny it Natsu!" She teased, "It's clear enough to me you care deeply for Lucy."_

 _Natsu felt his face heat up that he'd been found out so easily. He opened his mouth to deny it, but all that came out was a frustrated whine._

 _"She keeps avoiding me!" He pouted, "She says she's trying to give me space, but I don't need that much!"_


	31. Cupid

**Hey everyone! Sorry about the weird update times! Thanks for hanging in with us while we get it situated! Here is the start of our final ACT! ACT3, our fic is almost over!**

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 31**

 _ **Cupid**_

 _In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning "desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection._

* * *

"You're brooding again." Grandine said quietly as she prowled up behind her husband where he was staring outside and curled around him. Down below she could see a newly healed Natsu testing out his refreshed vigor the only way a dragon could. By wrestling with his brother.

It was a heartwarming sight. To see their lost son laughing and cavorting with their friends despite the tension from recent events and the underlying problem that had brought them in the first place.

"He looks happy." She noted.

"He should have been so much more than he is." Igneel rumbled sadly, "He's a drake. He should be a prince, and preparing to take over from me or off building his own nest. Now... his brother and sister will both outlive him by centuries."

Grandine flicked him on the back of the head with her tail, "Stop that Igneel." She commanded gently, "What has happened to our family, and to him, is tragic beyond telling, but that doesn't mean we can't make the most of what we _do_ have."

She nodded down at the group, "Whatever has happened to him in the past, he thrives now. His soul anchors itself a little more each day thanks to Lucy's magic. And it is thanks to her, and the healing she's giving him, that we have a small slice of time with him again."

She looked at him understandingly, "I know how much it hurts Igneel, but I will embrace what time I have with our son with both foreclaws and not let go. It's a second chance we never dreamed we could have. And that makes it worth cherishing every moment. I have little doubt that he will make Lucy his queen, and with luck they will have hatchlings. Hatchlings I fully intend to welcome into our nest and spoil."

Igneel's expression softened, "As will I my love." He rumbled and shook his head, "I'm sorry. Natsu's memories are on my mind." He growled softly, his claws scratching against the rock a little, "It makes me so angry to know what he experienced when he should've been wrestling with Sting in the nest!"

"They weigh heavily on my mind Grandine," he confessed in a hushed voice, "I almost wish someone could draw out the memories from my head and bottle them up to bury."

"Burdening Natsu with this kind of weight would crush him," Igneel watched carefully as Natsu sat on Sting down below and laughed his victory. At least until Sting shifted state and Natsu suddenly found himself sitting on top of a dragons head.

"He was so afraid Grandine. In his egg, Natsu knew something was wrong," And then all he had known was pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.

The sudden, sharpness that struck him while he was vulnerable in his egg. It was followed by the premature crack of his egg and an encompassing darkness.

And fear.

He had been born afraid.

The impressions were too hazy for Igneel to make out with any proper sense. But he got the gist.

The body Zeref created was from Natsu's real one. It was taken apart, merged with others, and magically blended to create a demon with the ferocity of a dragon.

Then his soul was planted into the construct, chained there but never fully bonded.

It was like his soul was a passenger while someone else drove his body. And worst yet, Natsu was aware of all of it.

Grandine watched his expressions flicker over his face and leaned forward to nuzzle him, "Show me."

It wasn't a request. Igneel knew that immediately, but even so he hesitated. These memories were horrible, and it was bad enough that he had them. He didn't want to burden her with them.

"Igneel... I need to know." Grandine insisted gently, pressing her forehead against his, "I won't let you bear this alone." She pulled back a fraction, and for an instant Igneel got a reminder of the fierce dragoness she was under her gentle nature, "And even if I was willing to do that," She growled softly, "I would ask anyway. So I would know exactly who to deal with for hurting my baby."

He smiled a little at that, "Never cross a dragoness defending her young." He rumbled in faint amusement, and sighed, "Very well my love. But it will not be pretty."

Grandine nodded as they locked eyes and in moments she was flooded with images and sensations of what had happened to her beloved hatchling.

By the time it was over deep gouges had been clawed into the rock beneath her talons, and she was breathing heavily, as close to truly enraged as anyone had ever seen her.

Igneel curled himself around her as she recovered her senses.

He understood. Vividly.

He'd experienced the same. Though his reaction had been much more pronounced.

There was a shadow cast over Natsu's memories. All of the crimes he had been forced to commit while under Zeref's control, and every time he did something, his son's soul had cried out in agony.

Because that was all it could do while he was puppeteered, or 'trained' by the demons of Tartaros, if it could even be called as such. The torture they had inflicted on his son had been nothing short of awful. But Natsu had been awake and witness to it all.

Until slowly, he had just shut down entirely.

He became a husk, his mind blocking out the trauma to preserve his own sanity.

But even then, Igneel recognized the sensations of sadness, grief, and pain echoing through his spirit.

The memories were sharp in areas but murky in others. But they all seemed to revolve around the calmly smiling face of Zeref.

And a winged shadow.

One that seemed so _familiar_ to Igneel, but was just out of focus enough he couldn't recognize it no matter how hard he tried. But its presence in Natsu's mind was enough to make its appearance important.

Whatever it was, no matter how much Natsu tried to repress it, that great shadow floated to his attention.

Igneel was just frustrated he didn't know the importance. Only Natsu could know it, but it was impossible now.

"What're you guys thinkin' about," Natsu's voice broke their thoughts, and they turned to see their pink haired son sitting astride Sting's head. The white dragon had flown up to see them standing on their perch.

Natsu balanced boldly on top of his head, standing on the balls of his feet and his hands on his hips. His head was cocked demandingly, and his sharp eyes were narrowed.

Igneel eyed his son for a moment, and considered deflecting Natsu's attention, but knew that would probably shatter what little trust their son had in them. Circumstances beyond their control or not, it was going to take time to build a relationship with him no matter what his instincts said.

He could not do that if he was anything other than honest.

"We were discussing, among other things, your memories." He replied truthfully, earning a slightly surprised look from both his sons, "Your mother insisted on seeing them."

Natsu's eyes widened, "You can do that?!"

"I don't advise it for you Natsu." Grandine replied quickly, "The emotional element to your memories nearly overwhelmed me, and I'm both older than you and disconnected from them." She shook her head, "It's no wonder you were lost in them."

Sting landed carefully on the ledge, "I have to wonder if there might be a way to filter that out, at least for a little while, and allow Natsu to see parts of his memories."

"You _want_ him to see them?" Igneel demanded in surprise, and Sting shrugged.

"Maybe not all of them." He conceded, "But Natsu pointed out he's got a right to know what exactly people are blaming him for. Lucy's told him what's in the human history books, but there's no guarantee that's accurate."

He shrugged again, "And even if it is he should still at least have an idea."

"Those crimes weren't his." Igneel argued, "Zeref controlled him like a puppet. He was forced into what he did."

"Maybe I was." Natsu interrupted, "But it still happened. People are still terrified of END because of it, and I can't even start to fix things if I don't know what Zeref made me do!" He growled a little in frustration, and popped down on Sting's head, "Besides... there's something in them. Something important. I need to figure out what it was."

Grandine and Igneel looked at each other for a very long moment.

"It... may be possible." Grandine admitted slowly, "There _are_ techniques that help in healing the mind and soul as well as the body. It's possible one could be modified to assist in that."

Natsu's expression perked up and she gave him a stern look, "I'm speaking as both your mother and your healer right now young man. I will investigate the possibility, but you will not undergo it until I am satisfied that no further harm will come to you. Is that clear?"

Almost as soon as his head perked up did Natsu's shoulders slouch back down. His cheeks puffed out and he crossed his legs where he was sitting between Sting's horns.

"Alright, fine," Natsu grumbled, but relented. It caused a flicker of hope to start in his chest, hope that perhaps one day he would be able to remember the tangled chunks of his past.

He could be patient.

As it was, he was trying to get used to a lot of stuff. Finding out his identity, and realizing he had a _family_ of all things was crazy enough.

He figured while his _mother_ worked on that, he could try to adjust to having a whole nest. Becoming one with this oddball family was a new experience.

But it was hard to get used to them. Even if having a brother to wrestle with and a sister to try and squeeze his short locks into pigtails while he was asleep was a novelty.

Lucy was giving him space to adjust to it. But in truth, he missed her. She was off exploring one end of the nest to the next while he was here trying to learn how dragons worked. And in truth, he wondered if she was avoiding him for some reason.

He let out a depressive sigh as he curled a fist under his chin.

All the space she gave him, it made him think she didn't want to see him. Not since the disastrous memory attempt. Natsu figured she was still badly shaken from the whole thing, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her until the horrors he made her witness faded from her mind.

Grandine's expression softened a bit at his pouty look. She knew that expression only too well. She'd seen it on Natsu's father the times he'd been missing her or Sting.

She smiled at him, "Missing your queen?" She asked knowingly, and let out an airy laugh when he flushed and started to sputter denials, "Don't deny it Natsu!" She teased, "It's clear enough to me you care deeply for Lucy."

Natsu felt his face heat up that he'd been found out so easily. He opened his mouth to deny it, but all that came out was a frustrated whine.

"She keeps avoiding me!" He pouted, "She says she's trying to give me space, but I don't need _that_ much!"

Igneel and Sting both laughed a little at his plight, but Grandine sighed and shook her head, "She's afraid Natsu." She explained, making him freeze in his tracks.

"What could she be afraid of?" He asked in confusion, "I mean, I know I scared her, but that's why I want to be near her."

"She's not afraid of that." Grandine replied calmly, "She's afraid you're going to force her to make what, for her, is an impossible choice about your memories. What's more she's afraid you resent her for taking your choice away in the first place."

"But... I don't..." Natsu replied in bewilderment.

"Then you must _show_ her that." Grandine replied, "Words, although sweet, ultimately mean very little. You must back your words up with action. Seek her out, and if necessary whisk her away so you can spend some time alone together. That's the only way you'll assure her all is well."

"What?" Natsu asked, his face blank as he tried to understand the point the dragoness was making.

Sting huffed out a very loud and annoyed sigh that was hard enough to dislodge Natsu by an inch. The demon yelped and grabbed onto his whole head, sliding down on Sting's forehead to glare directly into his eyes.

"She means you need to make the moves on Lucy! Hold her hand, hug her, kiss her! Do _something_ mushy - man, if you pine for her on top of my head for another hour I'm going to sit on you," Sting gave his head a shake.

Natsu shrieked when this time he _was_ fully dislodged. He spun through the air and grabbed a hold of Sting's horns, but planted his feet squarely on his brother's muzzle.

"Hey watch it you stinky-breathed jerk!" Natsu growled at him, "You better watch it or I'll give you another butt kicking!"

"I'd like to see you try runt! You're like the _little_ brother now!" Sting bragged.

Natsu looked absolutely offended by that in the way only twins could. It seemed memories or not, some things wouldn't change.

"Are not! I'm older!" Natsu crammed his much smaller forehead into Sting's, who was busy growling back at the tiny demon.

"Boys," Igneel huffed with some exasperation at the sight of the two snarling at one another. It warmed his heart to see such a thing, and he relaxed in degrees.

"Lucy should be with your sister right now, I would encourage you to go find them and speak with her," Igneel reached out with a claw and scooped Natsu up from Sting's snout.

Natsu squeaked indignantly and flailed as Igneel picked him up, but it was mostly for show. He was still getting used to the idea of Igneel being his dad, but he couldn't deny he appreciated the other fire dragon's warmth.

Ingeel smirked at him, enjoying the look on Natsu's face and affectionately breathed fire on him before setting him down, "Now, go on."

Natsu's sulking was immediately transformed into a grin as he started chewing on the flames around him, "Yeah, yeah." He replied as he headed out of the cavern, "See ya later."

Truthfully, he had no idea what he was supposed to say to Lucy once he found them, but he figured he would come up with something once he did. And anyway, he was eager to see his little sister. Of all his dragon family she was the one he had the easiest time accepting. There was something just so sweet about her that he simply could not be grumpy for any reason around her.

Certainly he had the urge to pound anyone who looked at her wrong into a pulp. Not that they did around here, but the urge was still there. Almost as strong as the urge to protect Lucy.

The thought of Lucy had him sighing a little again, and his heart thumped in his chest with eager anticipation.

Ever since that night on the beach he'd been finding it increasingly difficult to ignore Lucy in that way. He could practically taste her attraction to him sizzling through their bond at times, and it was driving him crazy in return.

If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure how much more of that he could take before he caved and confessed his interest and his awareness of hers, but for now he would content himself with holding her. If he could _find_ her.

Fortunately, their bond still worked and he had a general idea where his little sister would be, so it didn't take him long to get oriented and locate the pair.

"Yo!" He grinned as he rounded the corner with a bright smile, absently noting that Levy wasn't there. She was probably with the metalhead again. They'd been spending a lot of time together lately.

Lucy looked up from where she was seated with Wendy, a fistful of herbs and remedies were clutched in her hand but she didn't look to be paying attention to them.

Her grip seemed to curl around the stems a bit too tightly, fingers bruising at the leaves in favor of keeping a pleasant smile on her face.

"Natsu!" Wendy gushed eagerly, jumping to her feet and crossing the distance between them in a quick second.

Natsu felt her slender arms lock around his waist, his hand coming down instinctively to steady her back. His eyes flickered away from Lucy and the confused twang he felt in his chest over her reaction.

He had to fix this. Somehow.

"Hey Wendy," He directed his full attention down onto the young girl who was latched onto the lower half of his body. Natsu swayed, a smile brightening his face.

"You guys stocking up for our trip back to Magnolia?" Natsu asked.

The look Wendy gave him was of blank confusion before she just shook her head, _"Of course not!"_

Before Natsu could ask her what Wendy meant by that, she hopped up against his shoulder on her toes and cupped a hand to his ear.

"You should talk to her, I think she needs it," Wendy whispered.

"Besides, I always wanted a sister!" She smiled at Lucy and Natsu one last time.

Then before Natsu even knew it, she was off, escaping like the breeze to play with the other dragons. In the process, she left him utterly confused.

He was diverted from his confusion however, by Lucy standing up and brushing herself off.

"I should make sure Wendy gets these to the infirmary." She muttered, a slight grimace crossing her face over the flimsy excuse even as she said it.

Natsu frowned and reached out to curl his hand around her wrist, "Please stay?" He asked. His chest ached at how lost and hurt she looked up close, and a soft whine sounded in the back of his throat. A sound that had Lucy's eyes snapping up to his in surprise.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked in confusion. Except for around Igneel it had been a long time since he'd made that particular noise around her, and as much as she didn't want to admit it the sound had something in her aching with nostalgia.

"Lucy, I'm sorry I scared you." Natsu murmured, ignoring her question, and pulled her into his arms, "I'm sorry I scared you, and I'm sorry I upset you so much afterwards." He murmured into her hair, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, and the dam holding her feelings back shattered.

"You... stupid..." She half shouted half cried, and thumped him on the shoulder before bursting into tears.

"Do you know what that did to me?!" She shouted between her tears, smacking him again, "I've never been so scared in my life! I thought I would lose you!"

Natsu didn't respond, or flinch, as she railed at him. She wasn't using her magic, so her hits were love taps on his thick skin. Instead he kept a tight hold on her, deciding the best thing would be to let her work it out of her system before it festered any more.

Maybe once she was calmer they could talk.

Natsu held her tight to his chest as she finally wore herself down and dropped the herbs she had collected down to the ground. He swallowed thickly when she relaxed and draped her arms around his middle.

"I'm sorry," He pulled away enough to press his nose into her temple. Natsu felt Lucy calming as each second passed. Her trembling faded into tiny quakes until eventually they were all gone.

"I know," Lucy whispered into his scarf, her fingers bunching into the scaled material.

"It hasn't been as fun without you," Natsu admitted. He dipped his chin into her shoulder, nuzzling the side of her head. He let out a sad little huff, arms tightening around his mistress as if afraid she would draw away from him again.

Lucy's hand came up to cradle his cheek and Natsu instinctively pressed into her palm with a happy growl.

"I've missed you too Natsu," Lucy smiled at him. Her thumb pressed a soothing circle into his cheekbone and a tremble ran up his spine at the small gesture.

"You know it's funny," She continued, distracting Natsu with her wistful smile and gentle touches. He swallowed thickly, his heart jumping into his throat when her hand smoothed down his jaw and neck to his shoulder. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying unsuccessfully to smother a whimper that tried to bubble out.

Thankfully it escaped more as a squeak than a plea and Lucy barely even batted an eye.

"I used to think you were going to be a burden. I was dreaming of the day I'd be able to live my life normally again. Without you." she sighed, dragging her other hand down his arm and into his hand, "But now it feels the opposite."

Natsu cocked his head, not feeling offended at all by her statement, but curious over her revelation.

"Now, it feels wrong to go without seeing you. You've become so important to my life, I can't even see it another way," Lucy sighed, giving him a shy smile, "Silly, isn't it?"

"Not at all." Natsu rumbled softly in response, a smile curling his lips, "It's always more fun when we're together right?"

He beamed at her, "Even if you weren't my mistress and I was a full dragon I think that would be true. You're just so nice! We could have so many adventures together!"

Lucy laughed a little, "I think we have plenty of adventures now don't you?"

She couldn't help smiling at his statement anyway though. It pleased her he would want to be her friend even if their circumstances were different. For her, real friends were rare and something to be cherished always.

"Well yeah." Natsu replied, his spirits lifting a bit more now that they were talking, "But you know what I mean."

He met her eyes intently, "Mistress or not, I don't ever want to be without you Lucy." He reached up and gently rubbed his hand over her cheek, "No one could be better, or brighter, or more beautiful than you."

Lucy started to smile at his statement, and then her brain snagged the tail end of his comment and froze. More beautiful? Had he really just called her beautiful? Oh gods. Her heart started pounding at the thought and she blushed.

He thought she was beautiful, and instantly she was transported back to when she was a teenager on the rare occasion she'd developed a crush on someone. Only this was a thousand times more intense because this time she knew her feelings ran a lot deeper.

Natsu spied her blush and cocked his head, "Why're you blushing Lucy?"

Lucy shuffled backwards and pressed her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to hide her blush. Immediately she felt defensive for the natural reaction and tried hard to come up with a logical explanation.

At least one that would dissuade Natsu from pressing any further.

Or at least that would have been the case had he not taken that moment to speak up.

His eyes were level on hers, a smile tugging at his lips in what must have been an attempt to be soothing.

"Is it because you're attracted to me?" Natsu asked, with such an air of unforeseen innocence, Lucy thought her jaw would have come unhinged.

* * *

 **Alright thanks again for everyone who reviewed! Here is your sneak peek! I hope you all had very safe holidays for those of you who were in the states. For those of you who weren't, thanks for tolerating all the MERIKA spam you probably saw on the internet.**

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _"No," he growled._

 _Immediately he felt a punishing crack against his soul. The feeling was so indescribable he had no idea how to even begin to describe it._

 _It felt like there was a bleeding in his chest, of something being forcibly ripped away by his denial. Every inch of his body was screaming out to obey his mistress. Every second he didn't obey her, it was like all his nerves were being burned away._

 _"No I won't," he whimpered, his knees suddenly aching. Dazed, Natsu didn't even realize when he had dropped to the floor._

 _There was a vice squeezing in his lungs, and a trickle of something hot under his nose. Natsu felt that tear through his chest again, but this time half of his vision went with it._


	32. Ghoul

_Welcome back our lovelies to another chapter of Golem. Apparently I picked a good preview for the past chapter because you guys just LOST YOUR MINDS. HAHAHA IT WAS THE MOST HILARIOUS THING TO SEE YOU GUYS ALL COME UNRAVELED._

 _I regret nothing, but on that note lets kick off ACT 3_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 32**

 _ **Ghoul**_

 _A **ghoul** is a monster or evil spirit in Arabian mythology, associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh_

* * *

His eyelids dropped and a lazy smirk began to spread over his face. His fangs flashed between his parted lips, accompanying the devious look on his face.

Where had her doe eyed demon gone?

"Wha-?" Lucy gurgled incoherently, floored by the look he was giving her, and mortified over what it was doing to her pulse, "I... but..."

"I can feel it you know." Natsu purred, his smirk widening by the moment, and Lucy nearly choked in shock. He could feel it? How was that even possible?

"The bond tells me Lucy." Natsu murmured, "I always know what direction to go in to find you, and I can sense your moods." He leaned forward, and nuzzled her cheek. It was just an affectionate bump, but it sent her heart racing all the same. "I knew that night on the beach you were attracted to me."

He'd known since then?!

Lucy pulled back, "Hold on! You knew since then, and you didn't say anything?"

Why hadn't he said anything? Not that she'd wanted him to say something, but shouldn't he have been all over this?

Natsu shook his head, "I wanted to." He admitted, "But you seemed determined to ignore it, so I went along with you."

Lucy's head spun. Did that mean he was only into the idea because she was? She wasn't sure how far this bond of theirs went, but she was pretty sure serving her sexually if she wanted it was part of the deal if she wanted it to be.

Her heart kicked up a notch, warmth spilling in her stomach at the look in his eyes. They were dark, but they seemed to be darkening further by the moment.

His lips parted, his tongue sliding between his lips with a quick swipe. He stepped towards her, reaching out for her hand.

His thumb worked a small circle directly over her guild mark, stepping in so close their chests were brushing.

He stood taller than her by almost a head and his eyes seemed to glide over her body like a physical caress.

"I want the same thing you want Lucy," Natsu's lips grazed the top of her ear. She felt his presence all over her, felt his hands settle on her hips and his breath fan against her neck.

And she wanted it all. Everything he was offering her.

It would be so easy to just look up and yank his head down into a kiss. One that had been haunting her since she dragged him into one on Galuna.

She closed her eyes, her heart crying out for what he was offering, "No." She breathed softly before she could change her mind, and pulled away from him, "No Natsu."

She turned around and wrapped her arms around herself, not entirely sure if it was to keep herself from turning back around and rescinding her decision or to protect herself from the pain she was inflicting on herself.

"It wouldn't be right." She murmured, bowing her head, "You're _bound_ to me Natsu. You don't have a choice but to want to do whatever it takes to make me happy." Her grip tightened as she tried to repress the shaking she could feel starting, "I can't take advantage of you that way. I won't. I love you far too much."

Natsu gaped at her a little, stunned that she was willing to deny herself this. Didn't she know how much he cared for her? Didn't she understand he would never be able to do this, orders or not, if he wasn't interested?

This wasn't like fighting for her, or protecting her back, or even helping her survive. It required his own desire as well. She would have better luck trying to order him to stop breathing.

"Lucy..." He started, wanting to explain everything to her, but she whipped back around to stare at him with tears in her eyes.

"No Natsu!" She cried, "I won't do that to you! No matter what you feel over our bond you're not to act on it. The bond is tricking you and you need to stop listening to what it's telling your heart. You got that?"

Natsu blinked as he felt the order slide over him, and attempt to sink in. She truly meant what she was saying. She loved him enough she would deny them both for the sake of his honor. He loved her for that. Truly he did. But this time he had no intention of obeying her.

And for the first time since he'd awoken he fought the command. She wanted to stop him from feeling for her. That order wasn't possible for him to obey. There was no magic powerful enough to make him shut down what he felt for her.

She turned around again to shield her face from him and collect herself, her hands shaking. Lucy's voice trembled as she gave another command, just like the last.

"Just go Natsu, I need some time by myself," She choked out.

This command too, he fought with something akin to blind panic, because he knew if he didn't there would be no chance for them.

Lucy would insist, stubborn as she was, that he had no free will. That his feelings were only a reflection of hers.

Maybe that was true at the beginning, but that wasn't the case any more.

"No," he growled.

Immediately he felt a punishing crack against his soul. The feeling was so indescribable he had no idea how to even begin to describe it.

It felt like there was a bleeding in his chest, of something being forcibly ripped away by his denial. Every inch of his body was screaming out to obey his mistress. Every second he didn't obey her, it was like all his nerves were being burned away.

"No I won't," he whimpered, his knees suddenly aching. Dazed, Natsu didn't even realize when he had dropped to the floor.

There was a vice squeezing in his lungs, and a trickle of something hot under his nose. Blood slid down his face, a crippling sense of hollowness beginning to flood through him. It was like cracks in a dam and water leaked out from the mortar. Natsu felt that tear through his chest again, but this time half of his vision went with it.

Lucy had turned to look at him the moment he's said "No." the first time, shocked that he could even utter the word to her. However, when he dropped to his knees, and that terrifying blankness started to creep back into his eyes, her shock turned to horror.

"Natsu!" She cried rushing over to him and throwing her hands around his shoulder, "No! I take the order back! I want you to stay! Please stay with me!"

The blood dripping down his nose frightened her even more, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, "I take back all my orders!" She sobbed, "Just please stay with me! Don't shut down... please."

Natsu felt the pain vanish as she took back her order and demanded he stay with her. He haltingly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, "I... won't go." He murmured, affirming he would obey her this time, and their bond surged, giving him a boost of energy that cleared his head and his sight.

"I won't leave you Lucy." He breathed, much more clearly, "I love you too."

He shifted into a sitting position, and pulled her into his lap. He brushed her tears away with his thumb and met her eyes intently, "Listen to me Lucy. You can't order my feelings around. You can't make me want you. It doesn't work that way."

He caressed her cheek gently, "So please stop thinking that because I can't disobey a direct order I'm without my own free will. You know I have that. I can interpret your orders any way I want so long as they're done."

He pressed her hand to his chest, "And there's no order in the world that could make what I feel here happen. Okay?"

She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, as if trying to compensate for the shock he had just given it from consciously refusing the order.

He had come so close to being a husk again, just to prove to her he could think on his own. Neither of them had any idea such a thing could even happen, so they both held onto one another tightly.

They were both too stubborn for their own good.

But now Lucy believed him. Believed in the devotion he had for her even if the strength of it was a little overwhelming. Natsu loved with every inch of his soul and being.

Lucy let out a shaking laugh and wipes away her tears on a sleeve. She used her sleeve to lightly dab at the trickle of blood under his nose.

"We better take you to your mother," Lucy said worriedly, tugging the wobbly Natsu back onto his feet.

"Yeah, I think so," Natsu cringed and rubbed the front of his head, "I'm still feeling kind of strange."

Waving off his comments that he could walk by himself, Lucy looped his arm around her shoulders.

When they were upright, she hobbled with his heavy, unbalanced weight to suffer the wrath of his mother.

Natsu's eyes were still strangely glassy, like there was a part of him that was still slowly coming back. Luckily they seemed to be returning to normal the more time passed.

-::-

The next morning Lucy peeked cautiously into the infirmary, or healing wing as the dragons called it, to see if Natsu was awake yet.

The trip to the infirmary yesterday had been rough. Natsu wasn't exactly a lightweight despite the help he'd tried to give her. Fortunately, Grandine and Wendy had both been there and had rushed to help. _Unfortunately_ , they were also his family.

That had made explaining what had happened rather awkward.

Wendy had been very upset with her for endangering her brother like that, but Grandine had shushed her daughter and nodded understandingly at Lucy.

It had been nice the sky dragoness hadn't blamed her for what had happened. Apparently stubbornness ran in the family from Igneel.

It had also been an acute relief when she hadn't had to explain what had happened again to Igneel or the others. Grandine had taken care of that herself with far more tact and delicacy than she would have imagined.

Her respect for the sky dragoness had gone up several notches for that.

She sighed quietly as there wasn't any sign of Wendy, and Natsu appeared to still be asleep.

She wasn't sure if the little dragoness was still upset with her or not, but she wanted a few moments with Natsu before she got back at least.

She walked over to his side and sat down, immediately curling her hand in his. She'd missed him the night before. Their pillow mound had felt cold and lonely.

"Good morning Natsu." She murmured softly, a small smile playing over her lips.

"Good morning Luce," Natsu cracked an eye open, a devilish grin tweaking at his lips.

She nearly jumped as she realized he had only been faking being asleep. He was looking at her with both eyes now, grinning widely as he sat up.

"I was hoping you'd come to visit me," Natsu's voice was hushed, but the expression on his face was happy.

"Natsu, I thought you had started to sleep better," Lucy instinctively whispered back at him. Ever since Igneel had removed the memories from Natsu's mind, he had slept like a baby.

She was a little worried his near shut-off had caused him to relapse.

"No, I slept fine, I just had to fake for a bit otherwise Wendy wouldn't leave me alone," Natsu tugged Lucy onto the bed with him.

"She's protective, she's just gotten you back, and almost lost you twice already," Lucy mumbled

She shifted her legs on the bed, her cheeks flushing when Natsu pulled her close to his side. He had never lost a fight before. Natsu in a lot of ways seemed unstoppable, but he had been brought to his knees twice since coming to the nest.

It seemed unreal for her demon to have been hurt so many times.

Natsu chuckled softly, his hand drifting idly down her arm and over her side, "That's true." He admitted, "But both times it was my own fault." He flashed her an amused smirk, "Kinda hard to stay mad at yourself when you're the one kicking your own ass."

Lucy had to admit, he had a point.

He leaned over to nuzzle her cheek softly, "I survived. That's the important part."

The feel of his nose brushing against her cheek, and the soft feather light sensation of his breath caressing her ear, had Lucy shivering a little.

Natsu noticed immediately, and his eyes darkened a little, "Cold?" He purred softly, barely resisting the urge to nip at the delicate flesh so near his teeth, "I can fix that for you."

Lucy flushed as her mind plunged straight into the gutter, and shivered again when Natsu chuckled huskily.

"I can feel that you know." He growled, pulling away a little to stare down at her, "And I can smell it." He leaned over to press his forehead against hers, "Gods Lucy... you smell so good."

Lucy felt her flush extend into a full body one that left her tingling, "Natsu..."

He could smell no other on her in that way, and couldn't remember a time he ever had. Gray's scent was there in the beginning, but it was peripheral. Like all casual contact with other people.

He wanted to coat her in his own scent, a territorial feeling that made his heart race. Everything about his mistress was pulling him in. The unsteady gasp of her breath, the sweet scent that radiated from her, and the rapid beating of her heart.

He wanted to run his mouth down against her pulse point and greedily nibble and suck until he had coaxed out every delightful sound Lucy could make.

The way she breathed his name made his nerves spark and his heart skip. But he relished in the sensations, both old and new. In truth though, he felt fantastic. It was almost as if he had been reset back to the factory setting. And now, without _all_ of Lucy's old orders bouncing around in his head, he felt...

Energetic.

Lucy laughed a little breathlessly, but shook her head before curling against him. Her head tilted up towards him, eyes pausing as they took in his face. She reached up and tapped his temple, "Your eyes are glowing." She explained, "They're beautiful."

And really, they were.

They were the classic demonic red, but they didn't burn with hatred and rage like other demon eyes. No, these were warm and spicy. Like a hot fire welcoming her closer. There were even traces of the dragon gold mixing in like a real flame.

Natsu blinked a little, but grinned broadly, "I'm glad you like them." He purred, "But I'll look later. I've got something more interesting to see now."

Of course, now that she'd mentioned it, he _was_ feeling hotter than before. Had his powers unlocked because she'd taken away all but one of her orders? He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. In the beginning she hadn't known how potent some of her orders could be. Which was probably just as well all things considered.

Lucy blushed at the compliment, sincerely and unhesitatingly given, and smiled up at him, "Flatterer." She teased, and gently pulled him into a kiss before he could open his mouth again.

It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but to her it certainly felt like it. His lips were warm and firm and seemed to spark with an electricity that had her eagerly pressing closer.

"Natsu..." She breathed as she came up for air, and smiled a little at his soft growl before diving in for another one. His taste was even more addictive than the first time they'd kissed, and this time there were no demons watching, or to hide from. And that made all the difference.

She moaned softly as his tongue swept experimentally against her lips, and shivered as it slipped inside and caressed her own in a playful dance.

No one had ever kissed her like this. Like she was the center of their universe and they simply could not get enough of her. It was intoxicating.

She absently registered Natsu gently pushing her back until she was stretched out on the bed with him, and squirmed happily when one of his hands started to brush over her curves in tentative exploration. But when he got to the hem of her shirt and tenderly brushed the skin under it, she reached down and grabbed his wrist without a moment's hesitation.

"Not yet." She murmured when he pulled away to look at her in alarmed confusion, "I know it's what you want, and what I want, but I'm not really ready for that step yet. Let's... just explore a little at a time okay?"

Natsu smiled softly back at her, nodding his understanding. His hands drifted back up to safer territory, drawing his arm around her hips and middle. Wants were tricky things, and he still didn't quite understand them.

He knew that having a want and acting on it was different. And being ready to take that step with Lucy, it was a huge step for both of them especially so fresh into the fragile thing they had.

He badly didn't want to mess up.

So he swept back up to Lucy, his lips falling over hers to draw in more of those soft sighs and moans he was quickly growing addicted to.

Pink lips that were as soft as clouds pressed against his, sweet in their teasing caresses. Natsu just wanted to hold onto Lucy forever and claim those lips over and over and over again.

He laughed into the kiss, sparking Lucy to giggle along with him, lips moving in lazy patterns against one another.

But it quickly changed, as Natsu could feel a spark coiling in his stomach at the insistant press of Lucy's mouth against his. He growled when Lucy's fingers dug into his hair.

Her fingers curled into pink locks, pulled and - _oh wow_.

Natsu let loose a guttural moan at the feeling of her sharp tugs, his breath escaping in a rough gasp.

Lucy blinked a little and giggled, "You like that huh?" She asked with a grin, and tugged again. The soft, guttural, moan he let out confirmed it, and she smirked as she pecked him on the lips before moving down to pepper kisses along his jaw.

Natsu swallowed a bit at the new sensation, but eagerly bared his throat as she continued to explore. He'd known, intellectually, what this would be like, but somehow the knowledge did not match the reality even slightly.

Reality was much better.

Her soft lips brushed against his combat hardened body in a caress that felt a little like getting tickled with a feather until she reached his ear and delicately sank her dainty little teeth into his earlobe.

"Gods Lucy..." He groaned, melting at the touch. Heat scorched through him to pool between his legs, but he ignored it in favor of wrapping his arms around her and carefully stroking her hair.

He wondered if he could do the same to her and carefully nuzzled her neck, a pleased rumble escaping him when she bared her throat to him, and lost all track of time as he began carefully trailing his lips over her exposed skin.

His teeth were sharper so he took care with them as he let his fangs graze over her creamy skin. She squirmed beneath him, especially when his lips curiously latched onto a section of skin under her ear and sucked.

Her body jerked in a fascinating spasm, and Natsu's eyes travelled over her. Lucy's fingers were tight against the back of his shirt, her breathing growing more ragged as his mouth travelled.

Enthralled, Natsu mapped out areas against her neck. At first he was cautious, careful even.

But as he applied more pressure to his lips and teeth, Lucy's reactions became increasingly more pronounced. Her back bowed up into his chest, their hips brushing together in a way that sent electricity burning through his body.

Her fingers scratched into his scalp and she dragged his face up to hers. This time when they kissed, there was almost something fierce about it. Their breaths were gasping and shared, an eagerness to it that had Natsu bracing his hands on the bed.

He pulled himself up when he began to feel a familiar flame lick through his veins. He pushed himself up to hover over Lucy, breaking their kiss so he could force them to catch their breath.

He gasped raggedly, a crooked smile growing over his face.

"Take it slow?" he laughed.

Lucy laughed a little sheepishly, "Well... at least I didn't rip your clothes off?"

Natsu snorted around his grin as he settled back. He couldn't hide the effect her kisses had on him, so he didn't bother to try, nor did he let go of her hand as they cooled down, but he never took his eyes off hers and couldn't quite resist kissing her fingers the same way he had at Metallicana's nest.

He froze, however, when a sound from far away caused one of his tapered ears to wiggle.

He swore, when he realized they had garnered some attention and were about to have some unwanted company.

"Sting's coming." He huffed at her confused look, and hastily shifted into a position where at least the physical aspects of their time together weren't visible while Lucy quickly got up and hastily smoothed her clothes as she dropped into the chair next to his bed.

Which was good, because a few moments later. Happy, followed by a curious Sting, came into the hospital wing.

They paused at the doorway, and Natsu watched as Happy cocked his head in confusion while Sting stared at them in shock.

He couldn't quite contain his scowl over their moment being interrupted, but throttled the reaction back as much as he could. They were in a relatively public place, and he should've expected others would come by to see him.

Of course, that didn't help his frustration one bit.

"Uh..." Sting managed after a moment, "Did we come at a bad time?"

"Not as bad as it could've been." Natsu quipped only for Lucy to smack his shoulder lightly.

"Sass not required Natsu." She huffed as she blushed.

Sting blinked and then burst into laughter, "Well, you're bold as brass brother, I'll give you that, but congratulations!" He beamed happily at them, "Just try not to let dad catch you okay? You might give him a heart attack."

"Gods..." Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands, "I want to sic Taurus on him the longer he talks. Or maybe Aquarius."

"I don't get it, what's going on, and why does it smell weird?" Happy asked innocently. He had a bouquet of fish and flowers between his small paws.

"No reason," Sting squeezed the bridge of his nose. He gestured towards the couple in bed and nodded at Happy, "why don't you give Natsu your gift?"

Natsu's face immediately lightened at the thought of a present and crawled forward on the bed a little awkwardly.

"Thanks buddy," Natsu smiled at the kitten, who dumped his smelly bouquet into his hands, "Whoa! A whole fish? Just for me?"

"You bet!" Happy buried his face into Natsu's neck before flapping into the air, "Get better!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow at his brother as Happy flew over Sting's head.

"What, don't tell me you got a present for me too," Natsu said wryly. Sting quirked an eyebrow at his twin and crossed his arms.

"Depends I guess, on how you see Igneel's ruling on the human's war," Sting shrugged, "He's made a decision."

* * *

 _ **You're welcome.**_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _Natsu couldn't wait to kick some demon ass so he could go on a vacation with Lucy in a nice, secluded part of the world._

 _His was interrupted from forming any other cheese riddled thoughts when a loud blaring sound interrupted their dinner._

 _Blinking, Natsu looked up._

 _"What is it?" Lucy asked, her hand loosening in Natsu's grip._

 _"It's a proximity alert," Sting growled angrily, "We have a visitor too close to the mountain."_

 _"Gonna try to rip their heads off without finding out what they want first?" Gajeel snorted._

 _"That was one time, you have to let it go," Sting's cheeks flushed_


	33. Imp

_Hey you guys! It's Kytrin tonight! Poor Mslead had a Murphy's Law day from hell clobber her, so when I found out I told her to go sit down and relax and I'd post the chapter for her._

 _As I mentioned on tumblr, this chapter is the pebble that starts the cascade, so hang on tight because everything from here on is a direct result of what you'll see here! I don't think we have any housekeeping, so you guys enjoy! :)_

 _And as always... **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY 3 DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 33**

 ** _Imp_**

 _Imps are lesser demonic entities originating from Germanic folklore. They were not always evil back then, but always mischievous. Sometimes imps were the attendants of gods._

* * *

Sting eyed the two of them in amusement and smirked a bit, "I'll go on ahead. You two catch up Once you're presentable okay?"

With that he tugged Happy out with him by his tail and left the two alone.

Lucy huffed a little and got up, "Presentable?" She grumbled and looked at Natsu with mingled exasperation and affection, "I'll have you know this is your fault."

Natsu grinned back at her, "My fault?" He asked, "You were the one to kiss first!"

"Details." Lucy replied dismissively and leaned over to pull him into another warm kiss before getting up, "Give me five minutes and you can take the bathroom."

Natsu nodded and watched as she left before flopping back on the bed with a happy sigh. He was thrilled with how well he and Lucy had made up, and though he was sorry he'd had to go through such extremes to convince her it had been totally worth it.

After all, there was nothing _quite_ like having your brain partially melted. Though he felt absolutely no shame in admitting he would do it again in a second if it got him the same result.

He heaved another sigh and levered himself out of bed to take a shower and get cleaned up as his brother had suggested. Maybe he would get lucky and the meeting would be short.

Twenty minutes later, Igneel huffed with relief as he spotted Natsu up and about again. Seeing that somewhat glazed look in Natsu's eyes after his argument with Lucy had been frightening, and he was pleased to see they'd obviously made up if the way they were staring at each other and holding hands was any indication. However, the whole thing had been a very sharp reminder that his son was a Golem.

And his life was tied to the very fragile one of a human.

A human that was tangled up in a war against demons that would try to tear the world apart. His son would fight by her side every step of the way, even had he not been in love with the human, the nature of what he was would force the issue.

Igneel had held off on making a decision, but the choice was clear enough now. Dragons could not simply reinsert themselves into the lives of mortals. Not without allies.

And while his nest was powerful, Igneel suspected it would not remain so if the humans fell to the demons. The dragons would be their next target.

Perhaps the dragons would win, but not without suffering heavy losses. Not if they could mount an offense with the humans.

"I have decided the Dragons will offer aid to the humans in this fight," Igneel rumbled to Lucy, "my son has chosen you as the one he loves, so consider this an acceptance of the treaty you offer."

He dipped his head to Sting, "Natsu's brother will accompany you back to Magnolia. Gajeel has informed me that Rogue from Metallicana's nest has already made it to Fairy Tail."

"The rest of us will remain where we are for now, and then communicate with you outside of Magnolia's walls," Igneel rumbled, "Fiore must be freed before the rest of the lands."

Lucy stared at the dragon in awed gratitude, "I... thank you." She managed with as much sincerity as she could muster, and glanced at Natsu, "I know you don't care much for my people, and I can't blame you all things considered, but whatever your reasons for this I'm extremely grateful."

Igneel smiled a little at her, "I admit my desire was first to the protection of my children and my own people, that such protection benefits your race was merely beneficial." He met her eyes, "However, you and your companions have reminded me that the actions of one, or a few, should not taint everyone. Doing this will still protect my children and my people as a whole, but it is also the right thing to do."

Lucy smiled happily at him, "Thank you again."

Sting grinned at her and stepped forward, "Now, we can't simply fly in and start helping. Given the way things have gone for the last four hundred years we would probably terrify the humans as much, or more, than the demons."

"So what's the plan?" Lucy asked, instinctively slipping back into her Rune Knight professionalism, "I assume it involves you and Rogue making friends in Magnolia?"

Sting nodded, "Exactly. We want to make contacts among the humans that might be friendly to us while dad rallies and coordinates the nests. The plan is that by the time the dragons are ready to mobilize we'll have enough support inside to help ease the transition."

Lucy frowned a little in thought, "That won't be easy." She replied, "As much as it still pains me to admit it, the Magic Council can't be trusted with something like this. That leaves the guilds themselves, and while Fairy Tail and some others might be friendly and willing to help others won't."

"Furthermore, all of the guilds are illegal." She grimaced, "I'm honestly not sure why the Council outlawed them since they used to be legal, but that's not the case anymore. At least not in Magnolia. The guilds outside Magnolia might have more power, but that's chancy at best."

"The answer to that is simple, is it not?" Grandine asked, dipping her head down to Lucy's level.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Lucy frowned in misunderstanding and Grandine shifted down to her smaller size to better meet Lucy's eyes.

"The Magic Council must have its leading members removed from office and replaced by those who would be willing to support the guilds and dragons," Grandine purred.

"It ain't the soundest plan, there are at least eight members on the council at any given time," Gajeel grunted, "You're talking about needing a majority vote here."

"It's hardly impossible if they have committed as many crimes against the people as you say they have," Igneel replied, "Expose the truth to not just the people in the lower quarter, but the upper class as well."

"Magnolia needs to change first before anywhere else can follow suit. It's the capital, and it will lead by example." Igneel let out a low chuckle.

"Yes, but how will we prove it?" Lucy asked, "I come from that upper class, and I know the people there will demand that sort of proof."

Gajeel grinned toothily, "That, at least, ain't a problem. Rogue's a shadow dragon. Slippin' through the shadows and spyin' on things he shouldn't is as easy as breathing to him."

Lucy blinked a little, "Alright..." She said slowly, "That will help a lot. The council signatures are magically designed so they can't be forged. If we can get enough evidence with their name on it we might be able to pull that off."

"It'll still be tricky though." She frowned, "We'll need someone to charismatic enough to be our spokesperson, and someone sharp enough to know how to handle the political minefield that's bound to be."

"Jellal can do it!" Levy exclaimed eagerly, "He's a genius, and powerful enough magically to be on the council himself! Plus, he knows a lot about politics, and what he doesn't know you can tutor him on!"

Lucy stared at her friends in stunned disbelief. Had they really come up with the outline of a plan that would overturn the council and the political climate of Magnolia and Fiore at large in less than ten minutes?

She turned her gaze to Natsu and found him grinning broadly at her, "Let's do it Lucy!"

A slow smile stretched over her face, "Yeah!" She exclaimed fiercely, hope blossoming in her chest, "This can work!"

They dissolved into more in depth plans, unaware of the plotting much further away.

-::-

In the fortress of Tartaros, the leader sat in his throne with a dog-like monster at his side.

Mard Geer pet a slow hand through its thick fur, humming under his breath. The monster was whimpering and whining, communicating a story to the demon in a language only demons could understand.

"So, END and his mistress have gone to seek help from the dragons," Mard Geer finally spoke, his eyes narrowed and calculated with thought.

"Shall we go attack the nest? We know where our prize is my lord," the female demon next to him bent down before him.

"No Kyoka, Igneel's nest will fall in time," Mard Geer shooed the mutt away from him and gave her an amused smile, "but keep an eye out for them. We need END more than ever now since he eluded Jackal on Galuna island."

"Our master cannot be left waiting after all, even if that means getting our hands back on that failed weapon. He would still be useful." Mard Geer explained, "I want their movements monitored closely."

"It will be done my lord." Kyoka purred eagerly, "I will see to it myself."

"Very good Kyoka." Mard Geer replied in satisfaction, "But don't stretch yourself too thin. I may have need of your... talents... elsewhere."

"Yes my lord." Kyoka replied, "I am ever at your call."

Mard Geer smirked as he nodded at her and she bowed her head before departing. Everything was going well. They'd located END and his filthy mistress, and would soon have him within their grasp. Even if they had to raze that wretched human city to the ground to get to him.

-::-

Gray leaned back and crossed his arms thoughtfully as the call ended, "That's one hell of a report."

"It is indeed." Erza agreed, "A bold plan for certain." Her lips twitched, "But never let it be said Fairy Tail shied away from a bold plan. Are you two willing?"

Jellal nodded, "I am. I have no wish for the spotlight, but if that's what it takes to put an end to this..."

"I'm also willing." Rogue replied quietly, "My drake sent me here in the hope he could help in some small way. Now that the King is backing this I will do everything I can to ensure his plan is a success."

Erza smiled, "Thank you both. Gray, I want you to partner up with Rogue. Find out what he needs to infiltrate the Council building and retrieve the evidence we need."

"You got it." Gray growled with a grin that was all teeth, and got up, "C'mon. It'll be easiest to just show you what you're looking for instead of staring at a map."

Rogue nodded and followed him out.

The trip to Magnolia, and meeting Fairy Tail, had been an interesting experience. To say the least. The people here were unlike any he'd encountered before. And though he wouldn't admit it, but he was actually starting to like them.

Rogue had to admit, the humans of Fairy Tail seemed to be cut out of a similar cloth to Lucy. It suddenly seemed to make sense why. The people that they were seemed to inspire a sort of type of person to join their ranks. It came to him as no surprise that Lucy would find a home here in this guild.

They had already welcomed him with open arms. Even more he admitted who and what he was, or why he had come to them specifically.

And he believed already, if anyone could turn the tide in this war, it would be these humans.

"What're you thinkin' about?" Gray slyly asked as they headed to their target in relative quiet. The streets they took were largely empty save for a beggar or two, but that only served to give him a better lay of the land in this strange human landscape.

He imagined at one point, Magnolia had been a beautiful place. Aside from the towering walls that protected the city, Rogue could feel strong air currents overhead, something dragons could relish and play in. Hatchlings especially would love the updraft that came from cities.

Lucy was right to want to protect it.

"Lucy," Rogue admitted after a long moment, "I was just recalling her as the reason why I volunteered to be the one to come here."

"She's got a real fire about her, doesn't she?" Gray asked, "Lucy's was my partner for years while we were undercover for the council. She's like a sister to me."

Rogue chuckled softly, "She does." He agreed, "She's one of the few humans to have ever been to Tenrou. When I first met her I assumed she was like all the others I'd met. Greedy and selfish, wanting to end the war for her own ends, or broken." He shook his head, "I should have known better."

"What did she do?" Gray asked curiously.

"She talked back to me." Rogue replied in amusement, "I asked her why she bothered to fight at all when the demons have been trying to eradicate you for the past four hundred years."

"Let me guess... she said something about how they haven't killed us off yet, and that's a reason to fight right?" Gray smirked, "That's Lucy all over. Stubborn to the very end. You wouldn't believe what it took to convince her guilds weren't all evil and the council wasn't all good."

"I doubt it would surprise me." Rogue replied, "Anyone capable of talking back to the people they're asking help from, and being _right_ in the process, is not one to question their course of action lightly.".

Gray grinned in reply as they came to a halt in a shadowy corner not far from their target, "Alright, this is your best way in."

Rogue narrowed his eyes as he studied the layout before him, "I see at least four ways in from here alone. What do you recommend I look for?"

Gray shot him an impressed look, "You've got sharper eyes than mine then." He gestured to a sewer grate, "That will take you right underneath the labs where they were keeping Natsu for experimentation before Lucy tore up the place breaking him out."

"We'll want to keep the prince out of this." Rogue mused, "But if those labs are that unscrupulous I'm certain there's more on record in there. Where else?"

"The archives." Gray replied instantly, "There's a special section only council members and authorized personnel are allowed to go. Rumor has it they keep all the really dangerous spellbooks in there, but it may be more than that. Other than that, you'll want administration on the second floor from the top. That's where the councilmen keep their offices and paperwork."

He grimaced, "There's no telling how much of that is boring crap, so you might have to do a lot of sifting to get the good stuff."

Rogue nodded, "This may require multiple trips then. I'll be back in an hour to report."

"Same here," Gray smirked at Rogue and cocked his head at his vaguely surprised look, "What, you didn't think I was going to let you do all the hard work by yourself did ya?"

He jerked a thumb into his chest, "I know this place better than anyone else. besides probably Lucy and Levy."

"Meet back here soon then," Rogue nodded to Gray as they split ways.

Rogue melted into the shadows, purring softly at their comforting embrace, and sped towards his destination. He was careful to stick to the actual shadows around as he didn't want to draw attention to himself by being a shadow where no shadow should be. Fortunately, it was dusk so the shadows were lengthening everywhere, and the lights were starting to come on, which would only help.

Even better, it was near the end of the day, so most had gone home or were leaving. That would give him a better chance to work without discovery as long as he stayed quiet.

Since Gray had headed for the sewer entrance, Rogue glided towards the top floors of the building. Gray would have a difficult time getting there undetected, but he could linger in the shadows as long as was needed.

At least that was his plan. Unfortunately, the human nest was considerably more complicated than a dragon one, and it took him several tries before he was able to figure out where he actually needed to be, and wasted quite a bit of his allotted time.

However, it wasn't a complete waste.

He had no trouble at all getting around the few humans still there, and after picking one of the plush offices at random was pleased to discover that barring an unexpected interruption these rooms would be clear for looking through them all night. Though he could tell immediately it would take _many_ such nights.

It seemed powerful wizards liked to hoard books almost as much as dragons did.

If nothing else, it was a start. One they would have to revisit and think on for several days at a time, but at least between the two of them they would be able to unearth the council's secrets day by day.

He was particularly interested in the older volumes that were pushed to the back in their attempt to hide them from curious eyes.

He was tempted to take one to read, but there was no telling if he would be able to sneak it back before anyone noticed. So quickly he moved to meet up with Gray. They were sure to have some of the raunchier stories in the archives and in the labs.

When he slithered back into the shadows, he moved back to his meeting point with Gray, only to find that the man was already there with a file stuffed under his shirt.

"Subtle," Rogue's eyes narrowed on the ream of paper bulkily sticking out from Gray's collar, "Don't tell me you believe they won't notice that missing."

"It's Natsu's file," Gray grumbled back at Rogue, defending his decision to swipe the documents with that reason alone, "I wanted to know what they did to him while they had him in their hold."

"He seemed fine, but a lot of his past is still a mystery to us, and if the doctors managed to find out something in his head that we haven't been able to yet, then we'll be able to get a step up!" Gray said with hushed excitement.

Rogue lifted his eyebrows up at that, and he had to admit, Gray had a point.

"Very well." He conceded, "Let me take it though. You'll only attract attention with it like that." He blinked as Gray's shirt was suddenly gone, and Gray was holding the file with a frown, "What happened to your shirt?!"

"Goddamnit!" Gray cried, "Not again!"

He practically shoved the file at Rogue while he scooped his shirt up and put it back on.

Rogue stared at him for a long moment, "I think we're going to need a bag of some kind for anything you carry."

He wasn't too bothered by the human stripping, though he couldn't work out how it had happened so fast, but doing that while carrying sensitive information? No thanks.

He shook his head a little in bemusement, "We should go."

Gray nodded and they headed back to the guild, much more quickly now that Rogue was familiar with the way.

"Back so soon?" Erza asked once they returned.

"We only did preliminary scouting tonight." Rogue replied, "This will be an ongoing assignment. There's simply too much to sift through in one night even for the two of us."

"Yeah, but at least we were able to confirm we know where enough dirt is to bury the council in scandal." Gray smirked, "And we got Natsu's file from those freaks."

"Natsu's file?" Jellal asked curiously, "What good will that do?"

"Gray believes the file might contain something valuable regarding their experiments on the prince." Rogue answered, "I'm inclined to believe him, but as none of us are healers I'd like permission to fly it to the Queen."

"How quickly can you do that?" Erza asked, and Rogue smirked.

"I can be there and back within a day if I fly at top speed the whole way."

He could probably be there and back much faster than that, but there was no telling how quickly he would be granted an audience, or how long explanations would take.

"Very well, but first make a copy of it so we can review it ourselves," Jellal looked up at Rogue from where he had begun to sink into thought.

"We may not be healers, but we certainly have one among Fairy tail who excels in her art," he smiled, even if it was tinged with a bit of unspoken terror, "Polyusica can decipher almost any kind of medical script even outside her area of expertise."

Rogue seemed hesitant, but he bowed his head in acknowledgement and passed them over to Jellal.

The man got up to made a quick copy of it before returning the original to Rogue, "please inform them we have a copy of the file."

Rogue nodded and fetched a tight cording to wrap around the file. He looped it around his wrist and stuffed it in a bag to keep the pages from flying away.

"I'll take my leave then," Rogue bowed his head to head to the door.

"Safe travels," Erza said kindly.

Rogue smiled as he stepped into a shadowy corner and became one with it.

He couldn't risk transforming, even partially, within the city. Thankfully, his shadow form was nearly as fast as his flying form, and it took him only a few minutes to return to the secluded area he'd marked as unclaimed by anyone.

Once he'd double checked the area was clear he quickly transformed, and launched himself into the evening sky until he was little more than an odd inky smear high above, and rounded his course straight for Igneel's nest.

-::-

Natsu tried not to groan with frustration as the evening meal dragged on.

They'd wound up spending most of the day planning, talking to Fairy Tail, and planning some more until he was about to explode with impatience. He'd actually had little fires sparking up randomly before Igneel had declared the rest could wait until later.

But even then he hadn't been free to whisk Lucy back to their room to spend some time alone together. Grandine, his mother, had insisted on one last check up, after which Wendy had begged him to play with her with the most enormous eyes he'd ever seen. Something he was starting to think Lucy was in on since she'd sat there laughing the whole time as he struggled against Wendy's eyes and Happy's cheerful enthusiasm.

He had, of course, caved within five seconds.

Now the whole day was gone, and he hadn't once had the chance to speak with Lucy privately again. It was completely unfair.

And despite the smirks and knowing looks he kept getting from his parents and brother, it wasn't for the reasons they thought.

His moment with Lucy had been precious and wonderful in all possible ways. However, as much as a part of him badly wanted to pick right back up where they'd left off, there was a much larger part that just wanted to spend some time with her.

She was the most precious thing in his world, and he wanted her to understand, to truly _know_ that he loved and cherished her. They'd had a rough few days recently, and they both needed to unwind. To spend time laughing and reading and not solving mysteries or getting hurt or any of the other stress in their lives.

Truthfully, he wanted a couple days locked away from the world himself.

Their arrival at the nest had been a succession of rapid shocks, and trying to get things done while part of him was still reeling.

They weren't all entirely _bad_ shocks, but as happy as he was that he now had a family there was a part of him that was still reeling and hadn't had a chance to process everything yet.

Probably because he'd spent most of his time here so far unconscious.

Which was just ridiculous in his opinion.

He jumped a little when he felt a gentle hand touch his wrist and looked over to see Lucy watching him with concern and a question in her eyes.

Guilt surged through him at the sight. He hadn't meant to think about things so hard she got worried like that. Her concerned look turned into a slight head tilt and he smiled softly back as he twisted his hand to tangle their fingers together.

That got him a smile, and his own widened in response as he lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

He had seen Jellal do that with Erza back at the guild, and judging by the pretty blush that scooted over her cheeks, Natsu guessed it was the correct choice of action.

He understood wants now. Needs and desires. Each one had their purpose, and Natsu was no stranger to those emotions anymore.

There were some emotions he didn't know. Hatred, grief, envy.

But with Lucy as his guide, how could he ever learn about those feelings? He smiled at Lucy, unable to hide just how he felt for her in his eyes.

It was then he realized, he would do _anything_ to keep the smile on her face. Which was frightening, considering he was a world-ending demon.

He was happy Lucy didn't desire anything cruel from him. Not that she would. Her soul was pure.

Natsu couldn't wait to kick some demon ass so he could go on a vacation with Lucy in a nice, secluded part of the world.

His was interrupted from forming any other cheese riddled thoughts when a loud blaring sound interrupted their dinner.

Blinking, Natsu looked up.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, her hand loosening in Natsu's grip.

"It's a proximity alert," Sting growled angrily, "We have a visitor too close to the mountain."

"Gonna try to rip their heads off without finding out what they want first?" Gajeel snorted.

"That was one time, you have to let it go," Sting's cheeks flushed, "besides no one ended up dead."

"What should we do?" Lucy asked, uncertain if they needed to get up or not.

"Just relax." Igneel rumbled calmly, "The sentries will intercept our visitor and alert us if it's something requiring we defend the nest."

Right on cue a series of complex roars echoed throughout the nest, and everyone relaxed immediately.

"Not hostile." Sting breathed just as one of the sentries, a younger green dragon, led a larger black one inside.

"Rogue!" Gajeel exclaimed in surprise, leaping to his feet, "What're you doin' here?"

"I come bearing news and something that may be of great interest, if not help, to the Queen regarding Prince Natsu." Rogue replied as he shifted down into his human form and stepped forward.

He bowed respectfully to Igneel and Grandine before approaching them.

"What news?" Igneel asked with interest, noting the plain folder Rogue was carrying.

"Fairy Tail has already begun their preliminary scouting of the council building for evidence." Rogue replied, "It will take some time to go through everything properly, but we've already had some success."

He held the folder out to Grandine, "Gray was able to retrieve the file of what was done to the prince during his brief time they were experimenting on him. We're not sure if there's anything in there you're already unaware of, but it was worth the risk to find out."

"Gray actually got his hands on that file?!" Lucy yelped in surprise, "And he made it out with it without getting caught?"

Rogue nodded, though his lips twitched a bit, "He did. We did our first run through of the building not three hours ago, so it was mostly deserted." His lips twitched a bit more, "The file was stuffed under his shirt."

"Discreet," Lucy mumbled.

"I'm surprised that stripper was able to keep his shirt on that long," Gajeel loudly brought to voice what Lucy and Levy had been secretly thinking.

Rogue passed it to Grandine, who cracked open the file while Natsu practically crawled on top of the table. His nosey self couldn't help but want to be directly part of the action.

"What does it say ma?" Natsu asked, trying to peer over her head.

The dragoness frowned as she read the reports, "I imagine you wouldn't have a clear idea of what happened to you. You were heavily sedated."

"Yeah I do remember seeing a lot of Loke's butt that day," he frowned.

"He means when I had my spirit carry him to safety," Lucy sighed in explanation.

Grandine shot her son an amused look, quietly pleased that he'd called her ma, "I'll have to go over it in detail Natsu." She told him gently, "But at a glance it appears they were trying to discover your physical limits, and..." She frowned at the folder, "I believe this may be an attempt to pull out your memories?"

She shook her head, "It's difficult to say. Human healing has come a long way since last I studied it."

"If it helps," Rogue offered respectfully, "Fairy Tail has it's own healer as well. Her name is Porlyusica, and she will also be reviewing the file. I'm told she's extremely talented in her own right."

"Then perhaps a collaboration is in order." Grandine nodded, flipping the folder shut, "I will investigate contacting her tomorrow. Thank you Rogue."

Rogue bowed his head, a small, proud, smile playing over his lips.

"Are you required back tonight?" Igneel asked, and Rogue immediately shook his head, "Then you are welcome to stay the night and rest before returning tomorrow. You've done very good work so far, and are an asset to your nest."

He signaled to one of the attendant dragons, "See that one of the spare lairs is set up for him, and keep it available for future need." He ordered and eyed Rogue, "I'm afraid our meal is nearly over, but you are welcome to join us for the remainder or take a meal in your lair if you prefer."

Rogue bowed slightly, "I would not want to hold anyone up while I ate." He replied smoothly, "I believe I'll take my meal in my room. Of course, anyone who wishes to visit is welcome."

Sting let out an amused growl at that, "I'll think I'll take you up on that Rogue. I've been meaning to ask how the nest down south is doing."

"You're not getting lazy down there sunning on the beaches, are ya?" Sting smirked wide at the shadow dragon. The other just gave a dark smile in return.

"If you'd like your highness, I'll be more than willing to prove that I have not yet lost my edge," Rogue challenged back, which caused Sting to bark out a laugh.

"Is that so? You wanna fight then?" Sting demanded, looking excited.

Lucy snorted as she looked at Natsu, sitting on the edge of his seat and no doubt hoping a fight would break out.

"I can see how you two are related," Lucy giggled as Sting and Natsu turned to give her identical looks that varied from grumpy to confused.

"What I don't get, is how Rogue and Sting know one another," Lucy continued, ignoring the confused grumbling coming from her demon.

"That's an easy one," Gajeel spoke up with a lazy drawl, "when my old man broke off to form his own nest, a few dragons went with. Rogue was one of them, but until then he lived here in the main branch."

Natsu blinked over that, his eyes carrying over to Sting and Rogue. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling edge in his chest.

He didn't quite understand it either, but it nagged at him and he sulked down in his chair. Natsu wasn't sure how to deal with the feeling he was experiencing, but to say it made him feel awkward was an understatement.

However, he didn't have time to think about it too much as Igneel called an end to the meal. Dessert was available, but since everything was already fairly disrupted he declared they could get their own desserts and do as they pleased.

Lucy leaned close after that announcement, "Do you want to stay, or get some dessert and head back to our room?"

Natsu thought about it for a moment, but when his eyes landed on Rogue, Sting, and Gajeel easily trading quips and barbed insults at each other that uncomfortable feeling got stronger and sharper.

"Let's go." He muttered back, suddenly not feeling like sticking around. Besides, he'd wanted to spend some time alone with Lucy right? This was the best chance to do so.

He tugged her to her feet and quickly raided the selection while Lucy bid Levy goodnight. He smiled as he took her hand and they headed back to their room. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but he had Lucy all to himself now, and that was better than whatever weirdness was going on with the others.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks and love to all of our reviewers! It'll take too long to name you all, but you know who you are and I can hardly wait to see what you guys think after this! Enjoy your well earned preview! :)_**

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 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A PREVIEW!_**

 _"Natsu, what you're feeling is envy," Lucy smiled at him, "and maybe a little bit of jealousy?"_

 _Natsu blinked slowly as he processed that, "I'm jealous of Rogue?"_

 _Lucy nodded before leaning over to kiss him softly in reassurance, silently marveling that she could do that now, "It's not surprising really." She replied, "Rogue basically got what you were cheated out of by Zeref. The chance to grow up with Sting."_

 _She gently rubbed her hand over his chest, "I would be jealous of that too." She admitted, "Just like I was always jealous as a little girl over the kids who had more freedom, or siblings, and eventually parents. It always hurt so badly, and part of me hated them for a long time even though it wasn't their fault. Or mine."_

 _"So how do I stop it?" Natsu asked hopefully, and Lucy shook her head._

 _"It's not something you can turn off Natsu." She chided lightly, "What you have to keep reminding yourself of is that it's not wrong to feel the way you do, but that this mess isn't your fault, or Rogue's, or Sting's for that matter."_

 _"And most of all, don't forget that even though you lost time, too much time, what ultimately matters is that you're here **now** right?" She tapped her finger on his nose with a small smile, "You're here, and your family are all tripping over themselves to try and build a relationship with you. That tells me you're very much loved by Sting and everyone else, and they're desperate to make up for all that lost time."_

 _She grinned, "I think that counts for a lot, don't you?"_


	34. Janus

_Hey everyone! No real house keeping this time! See the end of the chapter for notes!  
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 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 34**

 _ **Janus**_

 _In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past._

* * *

Natsu awoke with the first rays of sun, as usual, and smiled as he found himself wrapped firmly around Lucy. This was more like it.

It had felt wonderful getting a chance to just sit and talk with her last night. They'd covered everything from what had happened so far to how weird dragons really were.

He'd been reluctant to admit he found them weird since he was supposed to be one, but Lucy had reasonably pointed out that he was more than that now, so it was expected some things would seem strange.

She was right of course, and it had felt good to get it off his chest.

The topics had wandered after that, and he'd slowly realized that he and Lucy had never actually done something like this before. They'd talked and teased, but he'd never really spent time _getting to know her_ in this way. It was nice, and he definitely wanted to do it again.

Unfortunately he had begun to nod off on her, which was an unusual feeling. Ever since Igneel had removed the memories of his past, he had been able to sleep almost dead through the whole night. Natsu was hardly used to being able to have a full night of sleep under his belt. He found it a little strange.

He almost wished he had been able to stay up later with her, but it just wasn't in the realm of possibility as they curled up together. It had just been so _nice_.

But speaking to Lucy like that... it had been such a nice experience. He wanted to get to know her until he knew Lucy better than himself.

Lucy already knew practically everything there was to know about him. After all, she had been with him since his beginning.

He pressed a light kiss against her temple, grinning as he brown eyes opened to squint crossly at the light peeking into their nest.

"Morning," He rumbled, his hand swiping down her hip and thigh for a moment before coming to a rest around her middle. He shifted around to stretch out, Lucy following his example only to flop over onto his chest with a tired moan. Natsu huffed out a laugh.

"No," she whimpered in protest and tucked her face further into his shoulder.

"Yes," Natsu snorted back, steadying her weight with his hands against her hips.

She looked up at him, resting her chin on his collarbone to give him a baleful look with her large, pretty eyes.

"Fine," she huffed, "But only because we need to see Rogue off."

Natsu blinked at that, the unfamiliar feeling from the previous night welling up in his chest and puncturing the happy bubble he had been coasting in.

"Uh, yeah," Natsu mumbled, his fingers playing distractedly with the tips of Lucy's hair.

It was strange he was feeling this way. Especially about Rogue. He _liked_ Rogue. Natsu even got along with Rogue, but that weird sensation he experienced kept coming back every time he came up...

And he didn't know what it was.

Lucy blinked a little as something in his tone pinged in her sleep fogged mind. She frowned a little at the distracted, almost angry, look on his face and shifted a bit, "Natsu? Is something wrong?"

Natsu blinked as if he was being pulled out of his thoughts and gave her a smile that was so false it hurt, "I'm just thinking too much! We should get up."

But despite his words he made no effort to actually move, and Lucy was certain now that something was wrong. She sat up a little and poked him slightly, "C'mon Natsu. Just who do you think you're talking to? I know you better than that."

Natsu shifted uncomfortably, but she waited patiently. Even though she'd made it a point not to order him about these things she knew he would tell her eventually.

And she was right.

"I feel weird." Natsu whined after a few minutes of silence, and absently rubbed his hand over his heart, "It's related to Rogue, but I don't understand it. It's like I'm mad, but not. Which is weird. I _like_ Rogue! He's kinda stuffy, but he's a nice guy."

Lucy cocked her head at him slightly as she thought. It sounded like Natsu was experiencing a new emotion. Something like this happened every time. He didn't understand it and it made him twitchy until he'd resolved it.

She smiled gently and took his hand in hers, "Okay. You're feeling something new. That's good. Let's see if we can narrow this down a bit and figure out what it is alright? When did it start?"

Natsu blew out through his nose, his bangs ruffling from the gust of air. His eyes narrowed as he thought back to what had triggered the sudden emotion. It was difficult for him to talk about something like his feelings. They were vague enough concepts to begin with, and Natsu wasn't the best with words.

He only really knew how to act on how he felt, which made keeping his emotions off his face difficult. Everything he experienced was right in front of everyone for the world to see. And Lucy was the best at picking up on it.

But she also grounded him enough for him to think back on it in a rational way.

It cleared his thoughts enough for him to pinpoint when the feeling first sprang up. The ache dulled a little into embarrassment, although he wasn't sure why he was feeling that of all things.

His thumb rolled over the back of Lucy's hand and he whined, nudging Lucy's cheek with his nose.

"I guess it happened after the report Rogue gave," Natsu mumbled, "When he and Sting started to talk and make plans to fight."

"And at first I was sort of excited to see them duke it out, but then Gajeel opened his stupid mouth and talked about how they basically grew up together in the nest," Natsu's shoulders hunched, the feeling in his chest tightening as he spoke, "and they all started to compare notes of their nests and..."

He trailed off, clearly unsure how to continue.

But for Lucy, that was enough. She was aware of what Natsu was feeling.

It was something she had felt more than once herself during her life. And it was definitely a feeling that she would go through again in the future.

She smoothed a hand through his hair and looked into his troubled eyes. He clearly did not like feeling the way he was. And she didn't blame him for that. Especially not since Rogue was their friend.

"Natsu, what you're feeling is envy," Lucy smiled at him, "And maybe a little bit of jealousy?"

Natsu blinked slowly as he processed that, "I'm jealous of Rogue?"

Lucy nodded before leaning over to kiss him softly in reassurance, silently marveling that she could do that now, "It's not surprising really." She replied, "Rogue basically got what you were cheated out of by Zeref. The chance to grow up with Sting."

She gently rubbed her hand over his chest, "I would be jealous of that too." She admitted, "Just like I was always jealous as a little girl over the kids who had more freedom, or siblings, and eventually parents. It always hurt so badly, and part of me hated them for a long time even though it wasn't their fault. Or mine."

"So how do I stop it?" Natsu asked hopefully, and Lucy shook her head.

"It's not something you can turn off Natsu." She chided lightly, "What you have to keep reminding yourself of is that it's not wrong to feel the way you do, but that this mess isn't your fault, or Rogue's, or Sting's for that matter."

"And most of all, don't forget that even though you lost time, too much time, what ultimately matters is that you're here _now_ right?" She tapped her finger on his nose with a small smile, "You're here, and your family are all tripping over themselves to try and build a relationship with you. That tells me you're very much loved by Sting and everyone else, and they're desperate to make up for all that lost time."

She grinned, "I think that counts for a lot, don't you?"

Natsu could feel that knot loosening under her words and gentle pokes. His face relaxed into an easy smile and he gave the tip of her ear and affectionate nip.

"That helps a lot Lucy," he sighed and pressed a light kiss into her temple. His large hand came to cup the crown of her head and Lucy sank into his warm embrace.

"It's a little weird, but you're right. I shouldn't be worried about it. Not like that." Natsu's voice was rough in her ear as he held her, and Lucy sighed with happiness.

"I'll have more faith in my family too, and Rogue. But for now-," Natsu's voice took on a hint of amusement. It was the only clue Lucy had to his sudden mischief, and she squeaked when she found them suddenly being flipped over.

Natsu smirked over her, his eyes wicked and amused.

He descended on her, all wet kisses and happy growls that had her giggling and laughing in hysterics under his sudden, fiendish attack.

He tapered off, his lips moving in gentle, slow lines across her jaw, a lazy smile still gracing his mouth as he let her catch her breath.

"Time to get up?" Lucy laughed breathlessly. She felt Natsu's lips still and his nose skim up to her ear.

"Yeah," Natsu smiled against it, before pulling away and straight up, his weight resting on his knees as he hovered over Lucy.

And she took a moment to appreciate the sight of him, because really, Lucy would not have thought she would be in bed with a demon this time last year.

She never would've imagined she would be in said bed willingly, or that she would love her demon as much as she did, either.

But then, Natsu was no ordinary demon.

He was singular and unique, and that made him all the more precious.

"Enjoying the view?" Natsu teased with a fangy grin, and she blushed a little.

"Like you weren't taking a look either!" She huffed in mingled embarrassment and amusement.

Natsu's grin widened, "The view is beautiful." He told her honestly, enjoying how that made her cheeks darken a little more, "Why wouldn't I look?"

Lucy laughed, and decided she was being a little ridiculous. They were a couple weren't they? They even openly slept in the same bed. Granted, it was _just_ sleep, but she knew that wouldn't last for long, so there was no reason why she _shouldn't_ look. Especially when he obviously enjoyed that she did.

"Well, you're just going to have to watch this view head into the bathroom." She smirked, as she levered herself out of bed and stretched, "I need to get ready before we go to see Rogue and the others off."

She was certain she could feel Natsu's grin, and eyes, on her the entire way, and couldn't help smiling happily at the knowledge.

-::-

By the time Lucy and Natsu got back to meeting the others for Rogue's send off, they were greeted with the strange sight of Levy and Gajeel fixing their packs onto Rogue's large, scaled back.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked as she approached her small friend while Natsu stared at the enormous black dragon before them. Gajeel barely turned around to look at them, only tightened a thick leather strap around Rogue's meaty arm in a practiced motion, and Natsu felt that new emotion, jealousy, surge and twist in his chest.

How many times had Gajeel done something like this? How familiar did they have to be to do something like this with such ease?

The jealous feeling clawed at his chest, dark and angry, until Lucy's words from before came back to him, and a surge of guilt joined it. It wasn't Rogue's fault. He couldn't help how he'd grown up any more than Natsu himself could, and slowly the feeling of jealousy seeped from him. He didn't like that it was this way, but he wouldn't get anywhere by looking behind all the time at what could've, or should've, been. The only thing he could do was move forward.

He smiled a little as the tightness vanished entirely to be replaced by a sense of peace, and tore his eyes away from Rogue to tune back into the conversation the women were having.

"Sorry, we talked about a change in plans while you two were asleep," Levy gave Lucy an apologetic smile, "Gajeel and I are going to head on early back to Magnolia. With all the subterfuge going on, Fairy Tail is going to need Gajeel to help Rogue and Gray with gathering intelligence."

"And shorty here is going to be needed to get all the documents and planning in place to make it so Jellal is the prime candidate to be elected by the people," Gajeel nodded at Levy. A glint of good humor and affection was buried in his eyes, but it was noticed only by Lucy.

They had a good point in returning early, even if they were disappointed they would be losing their traveling companions for it.

Lucy had grown accustomed to Levy's company at night, Gajeel's brawls with Natsu, and the rough way the older man showed his affection.

"You'll only be a couple of days behind us since you'll be coming back with Sting," Levy went on, "and a flight from Old Fort to Magnolia is a much shorter trip than it would be taking it by foot!"

Lucy nodded, accepting it for what it was. After all, Levy was the only one in all of Fairy Tail with the exception of old Master Makarov to have the patience to document everything and make Jellal look like a good political option.

"I'm going to miss you Levy," Lucy hugged her friend. Then she turned towards Gajeel, and straightened up.

Without even waiting for a blink of permission, Lucy wrapped her arms tight around Gajeel's middle and gave him a firm hug.

She could almost hear the rust falling out of his ears.

"I'm going to miss you too Gajeel," Lucy mumbled against what felt like a steel pole she was hugging.

Eventually though, his gears were greased and he dropped a hefty hand on the top of Lucy's head.

"Don't go getting all choked up blondie," Gajeel grumbled, looking everywhere but at the woman hugging him, "we'll be fine. You just keep yourself and those two idiots in line by the time you get back to Magnolia."

Natsu looked at Sting, "I think he's talking about you."

"He's talking about _both of us_!" Sting replied hotly.

Natsu just gave him a clueless look and then pointed at Rogue, "Nah, it's gotta be him."

As Sting opened his mouth to argue his point, Natsu turned to look back at Gajeel. Lucy moved away as the demon approached.

For a moment, she thought they would start growling at one another again. Gajeel even had a somewhat wary look in his eyes.

Ever since Natsu's attack, things had been a little tense between them. Gajeel and Natsu had not had a lot of time to speak to one another at the nest, and for a good reason.

But Natsu surprised them both and held out a hand to Gajeel, his gaze averting down.

"I... just," He struggled with his words, but Gajeel waited with a patience he wasn't known for. Natsu's brows furrowed together, trying to sift through his knowledge of words Lucy taught him to put his feelings into words.

"Sorry," He finished lamely, but looked up at Gajeel, his gaze strong.

"And thanks," Natsu continued, "For bringing me back to the nest."

Gajeel stared at Natsu for a long moment before grasping Natsu's hand firmly in his own, "You're nest runt." He grunted with a smirk, "And my cousin besides. Wouldn't be right to leave you hangin'."

He glanced down at the new scars on his arm and shrugged as he let go of Natsu, "Ain't a drake alive that don't have battle scars." He flashed Natsu a mock-grumpy look, "You damn well better be in your right mind the next time you try it though. You hear me brat? Wouldn't be any fun smashin' your face in otherwise."

Lucy and Levy shared a look, and rolled their eyes as Natsu grinned fiercely back at Gajeel.

"As if you could metalhead!" He cackled, his relief at the tension between them bleeding away obvious.

Gajeel just snorted, but he couldn't entirely hide the smile playing over his lips as he turned towards Rogue, "Whatever Salamander." He growled over his shoulder, as he hopped lightly onto Rogue's foreclaw and crouched there, "Finish learnin' how to be a drake first. Then we'll talk."

He held his hand out to Levy, who shot Lucy an amused look as she took it. One Lucy understood perfectly well. There was no comprehending how men, of any species, worked sometimes.

"Bye Lu!" Levy called as Gajeel helped her get firmly settled, "We'll see you back at the guild!"

"Bye Levy!" Lucy called back with a wave, "Tell the others we miss them and we'll be back as soon as we can!"

Natsu was now grinning broadly as he slipped a hand around Lucy's waist and waved at their friends. Nestmates? The question made him pause for a moment, but a warmth settled in his chest the more it bounced around his head. Yeah. Those were definitely his nestmates. All of Fairy Tail was.

Funny, since he had broken Gajeel's arm once already and torn up the other one.

Before he could think too in depth on that though, Sting made a strange noise in the back of his throat. By the time Natsu turned to look at his twin, the blond was already halfway gone back through the mountain tunnels.

"Huh?" Natsu blinked back at him, "what's his deal?" he asked obliviously.

Lucy shrugged and made a secret smile next to him, but didn't respond. While Natsu may not have noticed, his brother was very much the same as him in some ways.

"Igneel and Grandine already said their goodbyes," Lucy tugged on his arm, distracting him, "So why don't we go see if your mom was able to make any progress with your file, huh?"

Natsu had to admit, he was curious over what was in those files. There was so much that was either being withheld from him or worked around... he was getting tired of playing a defensive game.

Demons were after him, and aside from the obvious reason of wanting to use him as a weapon, Natsu wished he knew why they wanted him.

Knowing his past would at least give him some closure in that regard.

He slid his palm against the curve of Lucy's waist and pulled her closer to him, "Yeah. Lets go check up on ma."

* * *

 _Unfortunately guys, we didn't make the cut off for a sneak peek this chapter! I don't know if you guys were all busy or if you even had a chance to read the chapter, maybe next time yeah?_

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	35. Bugbear

Hey guys! Kytrin filling in again. Mslead and I were running a tad behind in prepping this chapter, and she had to go on to work, which will unfortunately put her home late, so I told her I'd update the chapter for her.

One little issue I wanted to address from the start... There was some, slightly hysterical, fear in the reviews from last chapter that we would abandon the story or something. Guys... we DON'T do that. Ever. It's offensive for us to even think about. Abandoned stories are pet peeves of ours, and even if the story was incomplete and it took us a while to update we would never abandon something. So don't ever think we would. Withholding the sneak peek does not in any way impact if we update. Alright? :)

That said... do enjoy the chapter! I think it's one many of you have been waiting eagerly for.

 **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**

* * *

 _ **Bugbear**_

 _The Bugbear was said to be a frightening bear that lurked in the forest and preyed on disobedient children - this was likely used to try and discourage children from wandering off into the forest and getting lost or injured by wild animals._

* * *

Lucy smiled as she leaned into him, and they headed back to the nest. It was a shame that Sting had already left as she was pretty sure he would be interested in what they were doing, but she had a more than small suspicion that Sting's abrupt departure had everything to do with Gajeel and Natsu making up.

Which was kind of ironic considering what she'd been coaching Natsu through not long ago.

She let it go though. It wasn't her place to bash some sense into Sting's head. That would be up to him and the ones he was closest to.

Instead she leaned up and kissed Natsu's cheek, earning a goofy grin from her demon, and smiled, "Why don't we go visit the Exceed after this?" She suggested, "Happy was awfully worried about you, and since he's going to be your wings and all you two should probably spend some time practicing."

Natsu blinked in surprise, "Happy's what?"

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes, "I should've known you'd stopped listening halfway through yesterday." She huffed, but there was no heat to it, "Since you and Gajeel can't transform on your own Igneel asked if there would be any Exceed willing to be your permanent companions and act as your wings in a fight."

She shrugged, "It's strictly voluntary, but apparently Happy and an Exceed named Pantherlily volunteered."

"Wow! I didn't even know they did stuff like that!" Natsu laughed, and Lucy couldn't help smiling, "That's going to be so cool!"

Natsu got a thoughtful look on his face as they walked together, occasionally bumping hips or shoulders. He chewed at his bottom lip, his eyes casting up to the sky and where he could see some birds flying overhead before disappearing behind the shadow of the mountain.

Flying.

Natsu hadn't thought of it before, but dragons were an aerial race. He should have remembered that they fought more in the air than anything else.

But in the back of his head, he couldn't shake the thought that he had wings.

At least when he fully transformed. Natsu knew, his transformations thus far had only grazed the surface of what he could do. He didn't know what his full power was, but... he suspected if he got into a fight now, he'd be able to figure that out.

It would help his case though, if he had any of his memory to reference. Sometimes it was frustrating just going into things with muscle memory to rely on. And thank all the old Masters at Fairy Tail for that, because Natsu had no idea how he would have even survived the early days with Lucy if he didn't have that.

So when he and Lucy walked into his parent's nest, Natsu was a little surprised to see Grandine already up and busily working in what looked like a small apothecary set to the side.

Natsu blinked and he glanced at Lucy, who merely shrugged.

Grandine was muttering under her breath and occasionally referencing a thick spellbook, her eyes flicking between the text, a lacrima, and his file.

"She looks busy." Lucy muttered to Natsu, "We should let her work."

Her muttering, however, wasn't quiet enough for dragon hearing as Grandine looked up abruptly and smiled, "It's alright you two." She assured them, "Porlyusica and I have been collaborating and we believe we may have a solution for you."

Natsu's expression lit up, "Seriously?!" He exclaimed eagerly and practically bounced over to join them, leaving a bemused Lucy to trail after him, "What is it?!"

"Don't get too excited just yet kid." Porlyusica said from the lacrima grumpily, "This isn't going to be fun."

Grandine nodded, "I'm afraid she's right. Once we start the process we can't stop it until the potion runs out, and while we can control the length of time out here fifteen minutes here could be an eternity in there."

"But it's not like Natsu will be experiencing this directly right?" Lucy asked, "That was the whole idea wasn't it?"

"Yes." Porlyusica replied with a hint of impatience that had Grandine's lips twitching, "But he's still going to see it. He's going to see himself do who knows what for however long he's under. That kind of thing is enough to break the strongest people."

Natsu frowned at that, "I still wanna do it." He declared fiercely, "I _need_ to know my past, and what I used to be. I already know it's going to suck, and I can't change it, but me not knowing is going to bite us all in the ass one day."

Porlyusica sighed in annoyance, "And there's the Fairy Tail stubborn foolishness I've come to expect." She grumbled, "I swear, some things never change."

"He gets it from his father." Grandine replied wryly.

Lucy, however, was watching Natsu in concern, "Are you sure Natsu?" She asked worriedly, "I'm not gonna order you not to, but this could be dangerous. Really dangerous. I don't want to risk losing you again."

Natsu chewed his cheek, his eyes flickering between his worried mother and to his equally concerned mistress.

He didn't have the complete faith in himself not to jump off the deep end after getting burned last time. And he certainly wasn't going to expose Lucy to that sort of torment again. Certainly not his parents, who had already gone through so much.

"Strap me down before," Natsu said firmly, "Just in case."

Grandine nodded. She curled her shoulders inward and gestured at the stone slab that was just beyond her workbench. It seemed she had planned for their visit, and his eagerness.

"Please lay down Natsu," Grandine murmured, waving her hand over the lacrima. Porlyusica grunted a goodbye and a rough 'good luck' before her image faded.

Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand to reassure not only her, but himself. Now that he was faced with the sudden choice of being with his memories, he was a little afraid.

She gave him a shaky smile, which allowed him to scrape up enough strength for him to breathe out through his nose and approach the slab. Cautiously, he spread out on it, dropping his hands voluntarily by his sides.

Immediately, a magical spring seemed to register his weight, and an inscribed steel bar snapped out seamlessly from the stone.

It banded around the tops of his shoulders, across his chest, around his hips, and kept his ankles individually locked. Natsu's breath stuttered out of his lungs, and he wondered if the restraints were a bit on the excessive side.

Clearly, neither Lucy nor Grandine seemed to think so.

Grandine approached him with the potion and tipped it near his mouth.

"Now remember Natsu, once you take it... the effects will be immediate. There will be no pulling you out from this state. You will have to endure it," Grandine hesitated, pulling the flask from his face.

Natsu saw how her hand trembled, and he swallowed tightly.

"I'll be fine ma," Natsu reassured her, seeing how pale his mother was looking under her skin. It seemed like she was trying to hide her fear behind a professional demeanor, but he could practically smell her terror.

So before he could reassure her once again, Lucy surprised both of them by gently taking the flask from Grandine's hands. The dragon looked shocked by her initiative, but also a little grateful.

"I'll do it," Lucy murmured, her voice trembling just as much, but her hands steady.

She looked firmly at Natsu, and he smiled back at her, relieved beyond words she was supporting him. Even if she didn't like his decision.

He relaxed against the stone as Lucy cradled his cheek with her hand, his mouth parting to accept the potion.

"Good luck," Lucy whispered.

It was the last thing Natsu heard before he closed his eyes and the world went black.

-::-

 _He was floating in a pit of fire, comforting flames licking at his fingertips and along his calves. Natsu didn't know what was going on at first. At least not until the fires faded away to expose two eggs. One a pale, glossy yellow with golden lines etched over the shell..._

 _The other was a matte black, with irregular red lines that glowed in time with Natsu's heartbeat._

 _Natsu frowned, not understanding where he was, and why he was seeing this. At least not until he caught sight of two lumbering reptilian forms approaching from behind. Igneel and Grandine._

 _They bent their heads, noses gently nudging at the shells, a quiet and happy clicking greeted them from the black shell._

 _It was_ _ **him**_ _!_

 _Natsu gasped and ran forward, understanding now why he was seeing this. He could feel it... the happiness and warmth of seeing his parents. Through a shell so thin, he was only a few days away from pushing through the red hot lines and cracking out into the open._

 _He wanted to meet them. His parents and his twin._

 _His heart thumped painfully in his chest as Igneel chuckled affectionately, "I think our little drake is ready to join us outside the shell."_

 _"Impatient." Grandine replied in amusement, "Just like his father."_

 _"I was patient enough to win your heart wasn't I my queen?" Igneel purred and nuzzled her tenderly, making Natsu's chest ache even more. The two dragons before him sounded so much_ _ **younger**_ _than he remembered. Happy and innocent. This was what they were like before Zeref tainted everything?_

 _They looked younger as well. It was subtle, but he could definitely see where the four hundred years of grief had taken a toll on his parents. They'd loved him that much?_

 _The concept seemed almost alien. He wasn't used to anyone loving him except Lucy. Yet here was the tangible proof of what she'd said. Somehow seeing it made it all the more potent to him, and it suddenly dawned on him that he loved them too. Not like Lucy, not that he could ever love anyone like he did Lucy, but enough that he wished he could put his arms around the memories of them since he couldn't get to the real ones now._

 _"You know, we still have to pick a name for him." Grandine laughed after they'd spent a moment twining necks._

 _Igneel eyed his happily clicking son for a long moment, "Hmmmm... we could call him Igneel the Second?"_

 _"You've been hanging around humans too much." Grandine huffed and also studied her son, "I like Natsu. He'll hatch in a few days on the summer solstice after all."_

 _Igneel blew a gentle puff of smoke at her in retaliation for her comment and stretched his wings out, "Natsu is fine with me." He agreed easily, "It certainly beats the trend for long, difficult, names from a few centuries ago." He shuddered a little, "I still feel badly for Weisslogia and Skiadrium."_

 _"As you should, but they_ _ **are**_ _rather entertaining dragons, aren't they?" a new voice broke in. It was a cool one, dripping with composure and light with a friendly air._

 _There was something about it that weighed heavily over Natsu on an instinctive level. It was a man at the mouth of the cave. That much Natsu knew for sure, even if his face and body were obstructed in shadows._

 _It was only did Igneel turn around, his expression amused and open with welcome, did the man's face come into focus._

 _"I have to admit, I like the name Natsu. I believe it means 'summer' to us as well," the man, unassuming with his dark hair and soft eyes spoke up, "It'll suite his fiery nature well I think."_

 _But Natsu could not see past the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, or the way they looked past his parents and towards the egg. Towards_ _ **him**_ _._

 _"Zeref!" Grandine greeted him like an old friend, "We didn't expect you to come here after you were healed."_

 _She gave him apologetic look, "I fear we must ask you to wait outside. Natsu is close to hatching, and this is a birthing nest that is prohibited from those outside. We will be just a moment."_

 _But the lingering look in Zeref's eyes made Natsu's stomach flip, unsettled._

 _The human let out a quiet laugh, his arms dangling by his side as he turned his chin down to his chest. Natsu knew he wasn't really there, but even he couldn't help but feel a slight tremble in his arms as the human went still._

 _"I wished to thank you for saving my life after I was injured outside of your nest Queen Grandine," Zeref looked up. But this time, the kindness in the human's face had all but drained away. Igneel blinked, stiffening up beside Grandine, his head lowering suspiciously towards Zeref._

 _His eyes had glowed red in an instant, a haunting color that seemed to make Natsu's heart twist in on itself._

 _"That is why, I have chosen not to complete my plans upon the body of your King," Zeref's eyes drifted towards Natsu's clicking egg, "The corpse of any dragon in your lineage will do."_

 _Natsu could see the shock and anger slowly registering on his parent's face. The disbelief that Zeref would say such a thing to them. Igneel was already looming up over Zeref, fire and smoke blooming from the back of his mouth. It was such a terrifying sight, Natsu almost shrank back from the shock of seeing Igneel in such a fury._

 _But Zeref was calm in the face of Igneel's rage. Before his father could roar his fury over the human's words, Zeref nodded his chin forward, and a rush of soldiers bloomed in behind him, each one hidden and cloaked carefully._

 _They swarmed the two roaring dragons. And the last thing Natsu knew, were his parents fighting and struggling against a tide that attempted to clip their wings._

 _While his vision faded from the battle and narrowed in, only on the sensation of his unborn self, Natsu was helplessly dragged away from his parents. The images faded away until all he was aware of, was a filmy shadow of figures moving him further and further away from the warmth of his hatching nest and family._

 _The wrongness of it all stuck with him, even as he was carried far away into someplace very, very cold._

 _And the unfamiliar voice of Zeref whispered something outside of his shell, Natsu's gut twisting at the unfamiliar pulse of magic twisting over his egg._

 _When suddenly, there was an excruciating pain that stabbed through his shell, and he thrashed for just a moment before everything went dark._

 _Natsu growled angrily over both the pain and the darkness. The emotions he had felt so far from the memories were definitely muted, as his mother had promised, that didn't stop him from feeling fresh emotions himself. And he was pissed._

 _Unlike his younger self, which was confused and cold and hurting, he knew what had just happened and never had he wanted to get his hands on Zeref more for it. That bastard had destroyed his life, and a very primal part of him wanted to make him pay for that. Dearly._

 _He grit his fangs and took a deep breath to calm himself. He had a lot more, and worse, to go through. He was determined to prove that he was strong enough to deal with this. He'd promised Lucy. And his mom._

 _That didn't mean he liked what was coming up any better._

 _And sure enough, when the darkness passed and his past self blearily opened his eyes in confusion, his first reaction was to growl again._

 _He could sense his younger self's confusion and growing horror as he stared at the creature reflected in the glass tube he was suspended in. His younger self, so young and innocent, was afraid of it and wanted his parents. Natsu was just pissed off._

 _Though he was intrigued as well._

 _Staring back at him was himself as an adult, complete with tattoos, but also in his full demon form._

 _Black horns spiraled up through his pink hair while red scales rippled over portions of his neck, shoulders, and arms. He could even feel them traveling down his back. His nails were long and sharp, like claws, and he suspected they could do considerable damage if he was so minded. But the biggest things were the wings attached to his back._

 _It was clear his dragon heritage had forced itself through. The wings were dragon wings. Like the kind Igneel and the others sported in their partial forms. In fact, the more he looked at it the more he started to think maybe his demon form_ _ **was**_ _his partial form. At least mostly. He could see the differences well enough after being around dragons for so long, but it pleased him that at least he had_ _ **something**_ _of his heritage to call his own besides fire._

 _But the younger version of himself didn't understand what he was looking at. Natsu could sense his struggle as he tried to understand why the warmth of his parents wasn't there, and his fear over the creature staring blankly back at him in the glass._

 _And the mounting panic, when try as he might, he couldn't move._

 _At least not until the water levels dropped down and the case opened. No longer suspended, Natsu's younger self toppled out of the tank with jelly-like limbs unable to move. His vacant gaze stared out at the wall as he took his first, shaky breath._

 _It was like his soul was chained to his body, but not in the drivers seat. It was disconnected, frighteningly similar to how it had been while Natsu was 'asleep'._

 _But he was aware. Awake and certainly very much 'awake' to everything he was doing, or rather everything he wasn't doing. It was different than how he had been connected to Lucy. Which had been more akin to swimming through a fog until he could open his eyes for himself._

 _This was more like a cold wall was stonewalling him. And now, in this memory, he could feel that icy chill unlike anything else._

 _The magic that sustained his body was_ _ **dark**_ _and unwelcoming. It was so unlike the gentle sparks and warm light of Lucy, the contrast was stark. This magic was like a wall, keeping Natsu's spirit from connecting truly with his body. It was like he was just a visitor. And he was trapped to this strange, adult body._

 _Natsu knew now his dragon heritage had forced its way through. But he also knew now, he had no real 'childhood' - not that it would really matter. He had been killed, and his spirit stolen._

 _His younger self's spirit stirred, even as his body laid limp and useless. Dark boots stood near his face, and Zeref once more made his presence known._

 _"Your parents named you after the summer month. Natsu. But you are now combined with the might of an Etherious demon, along with the fierce spirit of a dragon," Zeref forced Natsu to his feet. His head rolled uselessly on his neck until Zeref pinched his chin between cold fingers to force him to look into his eyes._

 _"Your new name is END," Zeref smiled at his creation, even as his spirit recoiled from the unwelcome touch. Knowledge bombarded his fresh mind, orders, instructions - a force fed education became present all at once. All of his master's will._

 _The young dragon cried out at the pain it brought his spirit, and Natsu's present self couldn't help but snarl in fury over the pain the hatchling version of himself had experienced._

 _"You should be acclimating to my needs now," Zeref said in a business-like matter. As if uncaring for the soul he had just tarnished, or the family he had ripped apart, "Excellent. It's time to get to work."_

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm at work, and it's relatively busy, so I'll be here another two hours if I try to name you all lol! However, you guys know who you are, and we love you to bits! Please enjoy your well earned Sneak Peek! :D_**

* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as Natsu suddenly took a gasping breath for air, arching off the table a little and his eyes flew open._

 _She leaned forward, half frightened of what she would find and half eager, "Natsu?"_

 _He blinked for a moment, re-orienting himself before his eyes landed on her, and a broad smile lit up his face, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me Lucy."_

 _The bonds on his body loosened and snapped back into the table. He wasted no time sitting up, capturing his surprised mistress' arms and tugging her towards him._

 _He cupped her face, closing the space between them and heedless of the audience which had gathered. He brought her down to his level and closed their mouths in an eager kiss._


	36. Grim

Hey it's Mslead! Kytrin did the last chapter, but I did have something I wanted to address about the sneak peek thing since so many of you guys responded to its lack of appearance. I'll put it at the end of the chapter!

 _ **THIS STORY UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 36**_

 _ **Grim**_

 _Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes. It is often associated with electrical storms and also with crossroads, places of execution, and ancient pathways._

* * *

Back in the infirmary Lucy kept her eyes glued to Natsu's still form. He'd growled softly and twitched a few times since he'd been put under, but so far that was the extent of it, and it was such a far cry from what had happened before it wasn't even funny.

"How much longer does he have?" She asked softly, peripherally aware of Grandine and several other dragons around them. She wasn't sure when they'd come in, and she didn't care. Her one concern here was Natsu.

"Ten more minutes." Grandine murmured in reply, "By then his body will have metabolized it."

Lucy nodded and rubbed her hand on Natsu's chest. She wanted to hold his hand, but didn't dare in case he crushed it or worse due to a bad reaction. She couldn't just sit there though, so she would take her contact however she could.

"I wonder how far he's gotten." She murmured, her heart twisting at the idea he might have to do this again. Once was nerve wracking enough.

"It's impossible to say." Grandine replied and reached over to squeeze her shoulder with a wane smile, "He'll come back to us."

Lucy certainly hoped so. They'd had two too many close calls already for her taste.

"He'd better." She replied fiercely, "Otherwise I'll have to find a way to sic my spirits on his ghost."

-::-

 _Deep inside his mind Natsu felt a sudden chill run up his spine that had nothing to do with what he was witnessing. Not that what he was witnessing wasn't spine chilling, but he'd felt that particular tremor before. The one that told him Lucy had vowed creative retribution against him for something._

 _Before he could think on it, however, his attention was caught again by the memories he was watching fly by._

 _After his awakening, things had started moving at a much faster pace. His distressed younger self was given no time to acclimate to anything before being thrown into a pit and ordered to fight the demon with him._

 _That had been as traumatic as his awakening and as painful as the information dump. The hatchling had panicked at the sight of the demon and the idea of fighting when he was fresh out of the shell, so to speak, but his body had acted of its own accord and roared at the other demon before charging at it._

 _What had followed was a bloodbath. One that was repeated over and over until they'd begun to blur and punctuated by moments where his range, accuracy, and other things were tested._

 _However, that wasn't the end of it._

 _The other demons had quickly caught on that while he performed expertly at whatever task Zeref gave him, there was nobody home as far as they could tell. It wasn't true of course, but that cold wall of dark magic never faltered. He was, for all intents and purposes, an aware puppet. And the other demons wasted no time in tormenting him to see if they could get any reaction from him._

 _It took all of Natsu's will power to ignore the way his younger self cried inconsolably when it happened, and focus on the details that were so important._

 _He was very careful to note names and faces all the same however. Even though he couldn't console his younger self, he would definitely avenge him. Especially that sadistic bitch Mard Geer seemed to favor. He owed her a very solid roasting._

 _After a while though, the cries from his younger self began to quiet down as his soul matured and grew accustomed to what was happening to him. Until eventually the cries stopped altogether._

 _And it was replaced instead with a familiar lick of impotent rage. All the power he had contained in his body was useless when he couldn't even use it to free himself. But his skills became honed and sharp._

 _Natsu became END, even as his angry spirit fought desperately even to budge a finger out of Zeref's control. It was out of his hands. No amount of willpower he had could make him summon enough strength to connect his spirit to his body even a little._

 _That was when the 'jobs' began._

 _Target Practice, as Zeref had called it._

 _Back then, there had been magical guilds. They were formed by humans, and many of them stood together to try and fight off Zeref and his demons. For a while, they stood on equal terms, even with the dragons having withdrawn._

 _But then Zeref had introduced END into the fight. And everything changed._

 _Because it wasn't just Natsu's considerable strength, although that was certainly a factor. No, it was the way Zeref used him._

 _Natsu could watch only helplessly as he brought a drought to an entire town. Where he scorched the earth so badly, no life could grow for a hundred years._

 _He burned villages, went after the young and elderly. All to demoralize those who fought against his Master._

 _And every time, he tried to fight his orders. Natsu fought with every ounce of what he was to still his hand or smother his mouth and flames. But nothing he did was enough to stop Zeref's march across Ishgar._

 _"Not bad," Zeref had touched the top of Natsu's head, after he had come down from levelling one of the human's mortal armies. His claws were bloodied, face blank and arms limp at his side, "For a prototype."_

 _Natsu in his present self, could feel the dull apathy resonate from his past self. His spirit was worn down, tired and no longer able to latch onto the small things._

 _He had stopped remembering. He had stopped letting the lashes and barbs and attacks wound him._

 _And Natsu realized then, his younger self could no longer even remember his parents. Or rather, had lost out on the hope that they ever even existed to begin with._

 _The realization was so distracting, Natsu almost missed the important information Zeref had let slip._

 _A prototype._

 _They'd thought he was singular. Unique. A somewhat flawed attempt to achieve the perfect weapon. Hadn't that been why Zeref stole him in the first place? Because he was the one ingredient necessary for his master plan?_

 _That had been their understanding. But that word, prototype, told him differently._

 _He was just the first_ _ **version**_ _of Zeref's ultimate weapon._

 _The thought made him a little sick. But surely they would've heard about more raids on dragons and egg stealing after what had happened to him had circulated through the nests right? The fact that they hadn't had to mean that wasn't the case didn't it?_

 _He hoped so, but the sick sinking feeling in him got stronger at the thought. He vaguely remembered something about large shadowy wings, and a horrible suspicion began to grow inside him._

 _As if the thought had prompted it, his memories began to blur again. He knew he would recall them later if he needed them, but it was like he was watching everything on fast forward. More 'jobs'. The incident with the Fiore king. Lucy's account was mostly accurate, and it made him sick to know what he'd done at Zeref's command. Though he was somewhat relieved he hadn't done it all himself. An entire legion of demons had been brought in to deal with the city after he killed the king._

 _After that, however, was when they began to enter new territory._

 _Natsu could sense his younger spirit was completely crushed after the incident with the king. His younger self had simply lost the will to fight any longer after that massacre, and Natsu himself couldn't really blame himself either. The apathy that had been going on at the word prototype had turned into a kind of second death. All his spirit was waiting for now was for the already tenuous connection between it and his body to be severed._

 _And as a consequence, it missed_ _ **everything**_ _._

 _It missed the magic council being formed as the humans continued to rebel. It missed how spies reported that the council was upset the guilds kept the strongest wizards in their ranks instead of them joining the ranks of the newly formed Magic and Rune Knights._

 _It missed the reports that there was conflict between the two sides when the council passed an edict that all wizards were required to sign up for five years of compulsory service in the Knights before joining a guild. A conflict Natsu suspected was the direct cause of guilds being outlawed in the first place._

 _But most importantly, it missed_ _ **him**_ _._

 _Acnologia._

 _Natsu was, frustratingly, only able to gather bits and pieces of information. However, from what he gleaned Acnologia was some kind of dragon rebel that had fought against Igneel centuries before. He didn't know how Zeref had found out about him, or located him for that matter. All he knew was that they arrived at a lonely, desolate, mountain and Natsu was sent with the primary force of demons to subdue the black dragon inside._

 _He watched intently as they approached the small nest, and the massive drake roared his fury over being disturbed followed by a massive battle that killed all the demons there except him._

 _In the end, however, he'd done as ordered. Acnologia was defeated, if not dead, and that was all Zeref needed to swoop in and contain the dragon._

 _What happened after that was a mystery to Natsu. All he knew was that sometime, about a week or so, later if he was judging time correctly Zeref brought him out to show him his new creation._

 _And Natsu knew immediately they were in serious trouble._

 _Because what greeted him was Acnologia, covered in the same kind of markings he was, hovering overhead._

 _Natsu's spirit missed everything that he saw now with clear eyes. Acnologia was powerful. Frighteningly strong even if he was currently passive under Zeref's control._

 _But he was an old dragon. His spirit forced into a shape too small for it to be contained. And Natsu knew without having to even look at Zeref's slightly alarmed face, to know this weapon was not the type to be controlled._

 _At least not permanently._

 _Natsu had been young. Bound as a hatchling not even out of his shell, trapped down without control of his magic to fight against his bonds. But he was older now. He had been able to push against Lucy's magic to disobey her._

 _Acnologia was a millennia old. He knew that from when they fought. Old enough to rival his father back when he had been just a dragon._

 _There was a sort of insanity brimming behind the new golem's eyes. The awareness of being ripped from your body and shoved into another one, the new power that decayed at the mind - Natsu knew it well._

 _And never more did Natsu know they all were in trouble when Zeref took Acnologia out for a test drive._

 _And Acnologia had wiped out an entire portion of a harbor town, clear off the continent._

 _The dragon turned golem had been obedient, but the glitter of lust in his eyes was far beyond the blank gaze of Natsu's. He may have not had a taste for the destruction while he had been a dragon - but as a demon..._

 _There was no greater threat on this planet._

 _The scene blurred away, with Zeref guiding Natsu towards what had been a fresh looking tomb. He recognized it from the pictures Lucy and Levy had taken, as the one he had been sealed within._

 _"I've made a terrible mistake," Zeref said quietly, "Acnologia is too uncontrollable. I wish to rule this world, not destroy it."_

 _Natsu watched as he was ordered inside the tiny space and Zeref began the process of sealing him away, "I will seal all three of us away." He murmured, "You are not powerful enough as you are to stop Acnologia, so this is the only way."_

 _The door to the tomb began to slide shut and Natsu could feel his magic induced sleep beginning to take hold as Zeref murmured a quiet, "Goodbye Natsu."_

 _After that, everything went dark again._

 _Natsu waited impatiently for what felt like an eternity for the next part. It was apparent that the serum hadn't worn off yet, or he would be waking up. Maybe he had to watch all of his memories for it to work?_

 _If so, that wouldn't be much of a burden._

 _After all the horrific things he'd witnessed just now, seeing Lucy again would be like a balm to his soul, and maybe when he woke up he would feel like smiling instead of growling._

 _So he sighed and paced restlessly, alternating between processing his new knowledge and bored out of his mind, until suddenly he heard the soft murmuring of voices on the other side of his wall._

 _His ears perked up with excitement and he couldn't help grinning as he listened to Lucy and Levy stumble their way around in the dark and find his tomb. His excitement grew as they began to examine the wall and Levy read off that critical enchantment._

 _Suddenly his body, no his very_ _ **being**_ _, was flooded with warmth and light and a beauty that left him breathless._

 _He hardly heard Lucy's frightened squawks over the euphoria that engulfed him, and made his heart thump with love. Her magic was as beautiful as she was, and such a stark contrast to Zeref's there was no comparison._

 _Her magic reached into him and wrapped his soul in a warm embrace, gently caressing it back to wakefulness and soothing the many hurts and scars that littered it._

 _Natsu's heart thumped as he sensed his younger self stir a little, drawn by the light and warmth, to open dim eyes and peer at their new mistress. And he couldn't help grinning as he saw the first spark of hope enter those dull eyes when it was discovered Zeref wasn't the one standing there._

-::-

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as Natsu suddenly took a gasping breath for air, arching off the table a little and his eyes flew open.

She leaned forward, half frightened of what she would find and half eager, "Natsu?"

He blinked for a moment, re-orienting himself before his eyes landed on her, and a broad smile lit up his face, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me Lucy."

The bonds on his body loosened and snapped back into the table. He wasted no time sitting up, capturing his surprised mistress' arms and tugging her towards him.

He cupped her face, closing the space between them and heedless of the audience which had gathered. He brought her down to his level and closed their mouths in an eager kiss.

He could feel the difference now. The light, airy magic that coursed through him. It was open, inviting, drawing his soul into his body inch by inch. Lucy's magic had been like golden threads, starting off with a single stitch, until slowly his soul began to be sewn back to his body.

It gave him consciousness, speech, and freedom.

More importantly, it had brought him hope.

Gratitude for something as simple as her sweet magic flowed through him, and he kissed her with every ounce of love he could pour into their connection.

Lucy gasped in surprise, even as Natsu pulled away, a breathless smile on his face.

"You should know," he breathed out to her, "If there's anything that my memories showed me, it's that they've shown me just how much I love you."

"I can't even begin to measure it," Natsu smiled at her, laughing a little goofily at the sight of her surprised face.

Lucy had no idea what had brought that on, but she couldn't help smiling over the fact that after viewing all his horrific memories that was the first thing he talked about. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and nuzzled him gently in imitation of the way she'd seen dragons doing it.

"I love you too." She murmured and kissed his cheek before he turned and snuck another proper kiss from her.

His playfulness made her laugh a little, and she snuggled closer as they broke apart, "At the risk of destroying this mood, can I ask how much you saw?"

Natsu nodded, not in the least upset at the shift in conversation. He was still euphoric over his last memories and waking up to the connection that was so very precious to him. He doubted there would be much that would be able to bring him down at the moment.

"I saw it all." He replied, "From when Zeref stole me from the nest to when you woke me up."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock, "You saw all that in fifteen minutes?"

Natsu shrugged, "Time was weird there." He admitted, "Most of it was like watching something on fast forward. I remember them now, but they're not important. Only the big events stood out."

Lucy nodded, "That makes sense. Did you find what you were trying to remember?"

Natsu's euphoria dimmed a fraction as he nodded, "Yeah." He growled softly, "And none of you are gonna like it."

He looked down for a second and then his eyes flickered up to where his parents were both gathered and waiting. He was glad to see his father had arrived. It would make this a little easier.

"Hey, dad," Natsu caught Igneel's attention, the fire King breaking apart from his Queen to set a hand on Natsu's shoulder.

Natsu felt himself sway just a hair under that firm grasp, feeling his father's underlying strength in just that simple touch. It seemed hard to believe Natsu had defeated his father's rival in the past.

At least before he had become a demon.

"Who's Acnologia?" Natsu asked Igneel.

Never had he seen Igneel's eyes widen so fast, or the way his hand leapt off Natsu's shoulder as if he had been burned. And him being a fire dragon, that was saying a considerable amount.

"Where did you hear about him?" Igneel returned his question with another one, causing Natsu to frown in irritation.

"Because Zeref never wanted me to be his Golem," Natsu murmured, and a piece he hadn't quite thought about yet fell into place.

"He wanted you to be his Golem," Natsu stared at his father with wide eyes, his mouth dropping open in surprise, "But he settled on me because he owed ma a favor for saving his life..."

"But I was still incomplete, he needed a full dragon. So he wanted your rival, Acnologia instead," Natsu stared at Igneel, his eyes growing larger by the second, "Who _was_ he?"

"The dragon king before Igneel." Lucy murmured in response, "The one he defeated to end the civil war."

She flushed a little when all eyes turned to her, "What?" She asked defensively, "It wasn't that hard to figure out after I realized the story we read at Metallicana's nest was about you Igneel. I mean, how many times in dragon history have treacherous humans stolen an egg?"

Natsu's eyes widened as he suddenly recalled the story, "Oh yeah! I remember that now!"

Igneel sighed, "Yes, Acnologia was the king before me. He was an extremely powerful drake I could never quite kill despite beating him and claiming the kingship." He frowned, "He hated humans with a passion, and wanted them all either eaten or exterminated."

"Considering what humans are capable of, I can't entirely blame him." Sting grumbled, but immediately flushed sheepishly when Lucy shot him a glare, "I didn't mean it like that! I'm just saying... after everything that happened to us I can understand why some dragons might hate humans."

Lucy glared at Sting for a little longer before huffing out a sigh, "Humans aren't any more good or evil than any other race." She replied crisply, "I know it's easier to see our faults, but that doesn't make us all devils you know."

"She's right." Igneel rumbled, "We dragons have had our own fair share of thieves, traitors, and tyrants. No race is completely blameless of that."

Natsu was more focused on getting Lucy pulled over to his side than to take part in a conversation he really had no interest in. He had seen terrible things from humans, demons and dragons alike.

Hell, even golems as it turned out.

"Zeref had me subdue and fight Acnologia so he could be turned into a perfected version of whatever I am," Natsu nudged his chin onto Lucy's shoulder, who reluctantly pulled her gaze away from Sting.

"But Acnologia was too dangerous, and Zeref was forced to seal himself, Acnologia, and myself away," Natsu hugged Lucy to his chest and looked at Igneel.

"He went with Acnologia, because he had to be sealed with him, but me? I was sealed somewhere else so I could maybe one day be freed and train to be strong enough to defeat Acnologia," Natsu frowned.

"Do you know where they were sealed away?" Lucy asked. But Natsu shrugged and shook his head.

"No, but Zeref seemed to think I would know where to find him if I went looking," Natsu grumbled, "Like I'd ever go looking for _him_."

Grandine nodded, "That's enough for now." She said, flashing Igneel and Sting a warning look before they could ask more questions, and nudged Natsu gently, "You've had quite enough mental exercise for today. I want you to go out and do something purely physical. Go flying with Happy, or get into a fight, or something. Just don't get scraped up enough you have to come back in here alright?"

That sounded like the best idea Natsu had heard all day.

Now that he was thinking about it, he was hungry as well as restless. Admittedly he was still somewhat high on the euphoria of the memory of Lucy's magic, but even that didn't completely chase away his memories.

"Hungry Lucy?" He grinned at his mistress, unwilling to go do anything without her, and his heart thumped happily when she smiled sweetly back at him.

"Yeah. I could go for some food. We missed breakfast."

Natsu's grin widened as he scooped her up in his arms and hopped off the table, ignoring her startled yelp as he sprinted for the door, "Food here I come!"

Grandine and Igneel chuckled softly at Natsu's excited roars and Lucy's indignant replies before turning to their other son. Who had his arms crossed and was giving the door a glare.

Grandine shook her head and wrapped her arm and a wing around Sting's shoulders, "Come on. Let's talk for a bit."

* * *

Alright, Mslead has to give her two cents about the sneak peak. I'm posting this comment here because the reviewer was Anonymous and I don't have a way of contacting them privately. I guess just ignore this if it doesn't pertain to you?

 ** _"Don't get me wrong, you guys are great storytellers... but I don't think you should allow us sneak peeks if and only if we give you guys 30 reviews. No offense. We either accept what you give us or not. Just because we don't review doesn't mean we don't like the chapters. Just sayin._ "**

I guess I should start off by saying thank you. I appreciate you telling us that we're great storytellers. Unfortunately that's all I can kind of say about that. I'm actually _very_ offended by this.

Kytrin and I keep a regular schedule and use BONUS material to encourage people to speak up in reviews, we're not withholding anything you're already going to get.

In _**two** _ days.

Authors read every single review and we absolutely love to hear back from our audience. Just posting a chapter and accepting silence as an answer is honestly a pretty crappy feeling. I'm sure lots of people feel the same way.

Kytrin and I are not mindreaders. We have no way of knowing if you like the story if you don't TELL us.

We're not robots that just vomit out these fifty chapter stories. You guys are our motivation, and push us to find the time to write! We love you for that, and appreciate every word you give us. The sneak peeks are meant to be encouragement and a reward that's mutually beneficial for everyone.

Again, I hate that I had to put this response here, but thems the breaks I guess?

So, with a sense of irony...

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK**_

 _"Would you show me?"_

 _Hesitation flashed in Natsu's eyes and he looked over at the little cat curled up next to him._

 _His shoulders hunched forward by a hair and he swallowed nervously. The memory of his own reaction of seeing his demon form was fresh in his mind, even if it really wasn't all that alarming._

 _But it was definitely different from what he normally looked like._

 _"Are you sure?" he asked in a quiet voice. He picked up Happy and sat up fully, just to get a good look at her face and determine that she was certain._

 _Lucy sat down next to them and spread her skirt out against her thighs to get comfortable. She nodded at him eagerly, not showing even an ounce of fear. Not that he really expected she would - Lucy had fought demons before and was currently being housed by dragons._  
 _Of course she knew no fear._


	37. Incubus

Hello darlings! It's Kytrin again. Poor Mslead is stuck working the retail back to school hell today (and for the next month or so given when school starts for most places) so I'm posting for her. I'll drop this into tumblr when I'm done here.

 **PLEASE NOTE:** THIS CHAPTER IS **NSFW**! MIND THE PURITY MARKS (####) IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR DELICATE VISION TRAUMATIZED! _(Not that I expect that to apply to any of you... pervy brats. *smirk*)_

Enjoy!

 _THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 37**

 **Incubus**

 _An incubus is a Lilin-demon in male form who, according to mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon women in order to engage in sexual activity with them._

* * *

Natsu grinned as he spread out on his back, sprawling against a large rock that dragons typically sunned themselves on. He had his eyes closed, and a small blue ball of fur curled up by his side.

His pointed ear wiggled as he heard light footsteps join them, his eyes opening to see Lucy standing over him with her hands on her hips and Happy perched on her shoulder. A grumpy frown pulled her lips into a pout, but he couldn't help but smile up at her.

"One minute you were walking right next to me, and the next you were gone!" Lucy panted a little, clearly out of breath, "How did you get up here so fast?"

Happy looked up from where he'd settled into the crook of Natsu's arm, resting his tiny chin against the demon's shoulder, "Yeah, I was wondering that too."

The small exceed, along with the others in his colony liked to fly up to the bluffs where they were. But it was hard to get up there if you didn't know where the hidden stairs were or didn't have wings.

"Oh," Natsu blinked, not having thought that Lucy couldn't follow him as fast. Of course the memory wasn't entirely out of his range.

"I just flew," He admitted.

There was a long moment of silence before Lucy and Happy simultaneously yelped, "What?!"

"You unlocked your demon form?!"

"You can fly?"

Natsu looked back and forth between Lucy's shocked expression, and Happy's upset one, "Yes?" He replied, and felt a twinge of guilt as Happy's eyes started to water, "Aw, don't feel bad little buddy. Please? I'll still need you back in Magnolia."

"But... you just said you can fly. You don't need me if you can do that." Happy sniffled.

Natsu shook his head and rubbed Happy's ears gently, "I can only do that if I change into my demon form." He explained and flashed Happy a sheepish grin, "Can you imagine me doing that in Magnolia?"

"You'd probably get barbecued by your own side." Happy replied with more eagerness than he probably should've shown, but at least the tears were gone.

Lucy rolled her eyes and sat down across from them, "So when did you unlock your demon form?"

"After I got my memory back." Natsu shrugged, "I was able to pick up the trick, and since my power's not tied down anymore it's easy."

Lucy wasn't quite sure that he meant about his power being tied down, but she pushed it aside in favor of something far more pressing to her curiosity and leaned forward a little, "Would you show me?"

Hesitation flashed in Natsu's eyes and he looked over at the little cat curled up next to him.

His shoulders hunched forward by a hair and he swallowed nervously. The memory of his _own_ reaction of seeing his demon form was fresh in his mind, even if it really wasn't all _that_ alarming.

But it was definitely _different_ from what he normally looked like.

"Are you sure?" He asked in a quiet voice. He picked up Happy and sat up fully, just to get a good look at her face and determine that she was certain.

Lucy sat down next to them and spread her skirt out against her thighs to get comfortable. She nodded at him eagerly, not showing even an ounce of fear. Not that he really expected she would - Lucy had fought demons before and was currently being housed by _dragons_.

Of course she knew no fear.

He stood up and nodded back to her, telling himself he would let go of his transformation in an instant if he saw even a flicker of fear on her face. Natsu handed her Happy and took a wide step back.

He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off over his head. He tossed it over towards Lucy with a wry grin when he caught her gaze lingering over his front.

It was like a coiling snake slipped in and out through his veins, made only of fire. Natsu reached inside to grasp at that elusive power. He breathed out harshly as he felt his senses abruptly intensify, carrying a heat through his veins that he felt through every inch of his body.

Happy gasped in shock at the transformation that rippled over Natsu's form.

It was a shock Lucy well understood as her own eyes widened in surprise at Natsu's true form. However, unlike Happy, who was actually shaking a little in her arms, her reaction was quite different.

Because that wasn't a demon before her. Or even END. That was Natsu. At his rawest and most primal. And maybe he should've been a dragon, but hell she wasn't going to complain given the circumstances.

She carefully got up, and set Happy on the rock, ignoring his alarmed squeak of protest, and stepped up to her anxious looking demon.

"Gods Natsu..." She breathed, "You look incredible."

She watched his jaw unhinge with open amusement and reached out to gently rub her hands across his scales and wings in fascination, "Does it hurt when you change?"

Natsu blinked slowly, his mind still trying to process the idea that Lucy _wasn't_ screaming in horror or fear, and even had her hands on him, before shaking his head, "No it doesn't. It's a little like waking up. Everything is clearer and sharper and there's a heat my regular fire can't touch."

Lucy nodded and slid her hands over his sides, smirking a little at the way he twitched, "It suits you." She murmured, privately thinking that it suited her too.

Somewhat to her embarrassment, she was actually turned on by this form. She could just imagine him doing all sorts of interesting things to her like this. Especially with that tail that kept flicking around his legs.

His eyes were a dark hue of red, flecked with golden sparks and glimmering like hot lava. Heat radiated harmlessly under Lucy's hands where she touched him, his scales smoothly transitioning into skin. They were strong and thick, but seamless.

His wings were large, the tips easily dragging against the ground. She wondered what they would look like when they were spread out, or mantled forward.

She traced the pattern of his scales down his cheek, lingering over the thick scar on his throat. Natsu shuddered, eyes flaring at the probing touch as her other hand traced down his chest to his side. She was careful in her exploration, hoping he didn't _quite_ catch on to her fascination just yet.

But Natsu's eyes were widening as each second passed, and he seemed to have come up with the realization all on his own.

"Wha- Lucy!" he looked genuinely surprised, his clawed hands flexing through the air, "You _like_ this form!"

Her cheeks flared a color as red as the glitter in his scales, her mouth opening to stutter out an excuse before she could come up with a way to explain her ogling.

"Wha- I mean- that is-!"

"You _really_ like this form," Natsu talked over her, his jaw dropping open in such shock it seemed he was unable to come up with anything quick enough.

But his tail was lifting to wrap around her waist, and Lucy found herself being dragged closer to her surprised demon.

Lucy's cheeks flushed even darker, and she pouted at him, "I can't help it alright?" She whined, "This form is the purest form of _you_ there is!"

"But Lucy, it's his _demon_ form!" Happy squeaked from behind them, but Lucy never took her eyes off Natsu.

"I know that." She replied, her expression softening as she reached up to caress his jaw, "But that doesn't change the fact this is his truest form. Or that I find it attractive."

"Lucy..." Natsu breathed, unable to believe that she truly _did_ find this form of his attractive, but unable to deny the evidence of his senses either.

That sweet honey scent of her was getting stronger by the moment, and in this form he could practically _taste_ it.

He whined softly, and leaned forward to bury his nose in her neck. An action that had the unfortunate side effect of pulling her flush to him and making her scent positively explode in the air around them.

Lucy just smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're not a terrifying monster Natsu." She breathed softly, though loudly enough for Happy to hear, "You're Natsu. You're my friend. My partner. The man I love. And I could never find you disgusting."

She pulled back enough to see his face and promptly captured his lips in a sensual kiss that would hopefully convince him she meant it, even if her words failed to.

The fact alone she wasn't afraid made him happy. But the way she backed her words with action made his senses tingle and flicker with dark joy. He growled huskily against her mouth, his clawed hand sliding around her head to comb through her hair.

He pressed into the kiss harder, his heart feeling like it was beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird. Her scent bloomed around them like a flower and he was helpless to it.

He felt as if she had enchanted him, even as his tail dragged firm around her waist while the claws on his free hand skittered down her arm.

He pulled away after a moment, his eyes flaring red with building heat, his fangs sharp and cutting into his lips to keep his inner flames from bubbling over. But he was overcome with the desire to show her all of him. Let her feel the heights of his heat and share this encompassing burn with her.

He licked his lips and closed his eyes, forehead dropping against hers.

"W-wow," Lucy gasped breathlessly, sagging into Natsu's strong chest. Her fingers gripped tight into his biceps, her chest heaving as she looked into his dark eyes. There was a hunger there she understood well, and shit bit her lip to keep it as well contained as possible.

"We've both come a long way... haven't we?" Lucy's voice trembled out, her lips skating over his.

Natsu chuckled a little darkly and flashed her a fangy grin, "Yeah we have." He purred, "When we started out you lumped me with every other demon out there, and I wasn't home enough to even speak."

He pulled her a little closer, letting her feel his desire for her, "Now..."

Lucy nodded, breathlessly, but nearly jumped out of her skin as Happy abruptly landed on her head. She'd completely forgotten he was there, and his presence was like a dose of ice water in her face.

It took all her effort not to thump her head against Natsu's chest and whine in frustration.

Why did this always seem to happen to them?

"I think Lucy's right." The little blue cat exclaimed, "I mean, you kinda startled me at first, but you're not being mean or anything now, and you do look kinda cool."

Natsu repressed a growl at the interruption and flashed Happy a grin, "Thanks Happy!" He exclaimed, meaning it despite his frustration, "I'm glad you like it."

He hadn't missed the instinctive fear on Happy's face earlier, but it pleased him his little friend was making an effort to overcome it. That meant a lot too.

Happy grinned back and lifted off Lucy, "I have to head home now." He sighed, "I have chores and stuff." He flew off without a backwards glance, "Have fun without me!"

Lucy watched him go sulkily, "I think he did that on purpose."

Natsu smirked, suspecting she was probably right, and trailed his claws through her hair, "Maybe..." He purred seductively, "But now we're alone."

Lucy shivered at his tone and couldn't help moaning softly as he trailed his fangs down her neck to gently latch onto the tender flesh where it met her shoulder.

####

Instantly she forgot all about Happy as Natsu guided her towards the rock and pulled her into his lap as he sat down and ran his claws over her eagerly.

"Lucy..." He growled hotly, and pulled her into another heated kiss that melted her into a puddle of heat and want. So much so that she didn't notice his tail repositioning itself until it snuck under her skirt where it gave her a firm rub that had her gasping into their kiss.

Natsu seemed to breathe in her gasp, his golden eyes opening to soak in her face. With just a scrap of fabric separating her from the heat of his powerful tail, Lucy's thighs trembled when the ridges of his tail coiled against her a second time. It sent a delightful sensation through her.

Natsu's lips pulled apart from hers, mouth parted as harsh breaths dragged from his lungs. Dark fascination flickered over his face and he licked his lips, his eyes dragging down to the spot between Lucy's legs. She could feel his strong thighs flexing under her, as if tensing for battle.

His clawed hands came up to bunch the skirt along her sides, enough she could see the tip of his tail wiggling just a little between her legs. Lucy's heart leapt and flooded with heat that spread through her chest at the sight of the devious appendage, her mouth opening as she realized Natsu was c _urious_.

Which could only spell trouble for her, especially in this situation.

Slowly, his tail pushed forward, the bumps and flexible fins that lined the back of his tail flashing against her underwear. He pushed it far enough forward so it curled up and around her waist, resting just under her breasts.

"Natsu wha-" Lucy panted, unashamed to find her body trembling with arousal and out of breath. He very clearly was unsure what to do, but he also could somehow... sense her. She was certain of that.

He met her eyes, a devilish smirk flashing over his face for just a second before his tail sawed out from between her legs. The vibrations nearly sent her up and off his lap, her knees lifting up for a second in surprise. She grasped blindly for his shoulders as his tail raised after her, steadying and tormenting her at the same time.

Natsu's breath came out ragged and husky.

" _Interesting_ ," he growled.

Lucy whimpered softly and held on to his shoulders tightly as his tail flexed and twisted against her heated flesh, prompting her to roll her hips against him in turn, "Natsu..."

Natsu growled hotly at that and he tightened his own grip on her, "I like when you say my name like that." He rumbled, his hands caressing down her back to squeeze boldly at her butt, "Say it again."

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped, and he growled lowly in pleasure, a sound that went straight to her own arousal. She growled back at him, surprising him a little, and leaned forward to kiss him hungrily. If he was going to tease her then he needed to be ready for the consequences.

It seemed he was more than ready for them though as he pulled her closer and trailed his hands up her back to curl around her breasts.

The feeling of his hot hands through her shirt had Lucy twitching and squirming in frustration and it didn't take long for her to pull away enough to pull her shirt off and give him his first intentional view of her breasts.

She smirked as his eyes widened and he reverently caressed them before curling his clawed hands around them and pulling one nipple into his mouth.

The dual sensation of Natsu's mouth and his tail had Lucy tipping her head back as the pleasure washed over her. Gods that was good!

His mouth, fangs, and tongue teased and tormented first one nipple, and then the other, while his tail continued to undulate against her like she was riding a particularly pleasurable snake.

She wondered what would happen if she shifted her panties to the side so it could touch her directly.

As if he'd read her mind, his tail suddenly shifted so the irritating scrap of fabric was gone, and suddenly she was riding directly on the hot appendage. She gasped loudly at the feel of his scales caressing her directly, the gentle ridges he sported especially tugging and rubbing against her clit in the most delightful way.

His hands searched and explored, caressing tender skin with the grazing tips of his talons. She felt the air displace around them, breezing over her flushed body. Natsu's wings had unfurled, stretching out on either side of Lucy as the tips touched. It was as if they were forming a sort of barrier between them and the rest of the world. Natsu hardly looked aware he had done it.

His body tensed, his eyes focused on her. She too couldn't help but admire him. It seemed fitting he was a demon. He certainly was an invitation to sin.

But the intensity of how he looked at her was what really made Lucy's entire body begin to completely melt. She whimpered, fingernails now digging into the muscles of his shoulders. His tail was moving faster now, sawing between her legs and writhing in unpredictable ways.

It made her stomach tighten, heat coiling there the longer his tail gyrated against her. Lucy's hips bucked and ground against him, past the point of dignity. Her thighs burned from the effort to keep pressing herself against his delicious friction, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. It seemed Natsu too was a slave to her pleasure, his eyes seeming to brighten and darken in turns.

In the back of her pleasure fogged mind it dawned on Lucy that she should reciprocate. That it wasn't fair for her to get all the pleasure.

With that vague thought in mind she tried to reach between them to touch him as well, but he gently pulled her hand away and put it back on his shoulder.

"Not this time Lucy." He growled roughly, and pulled her flush to his chest so he could nuzzle her properly, "This is about you."

Not that he didn't want what she was offering, very badly, but he wanted to focus on her. On making her feel good, and reveling in the fact she found this form of his so attractive she was losing her mind because of it.

Besides, her growing pleasure was driving him wild.

Her sweet scent had filled the air between them so thickly he could taste it, and her soft moans and whimpers made him hungrier every time he heard one. But what was truly driving him wild was their bond.

He'd always been able to sense her stronger emotions through it, but that awareness of their connection since he'd woken up made it much more powerful. He could literally feel her pleasure and need tingling across it, and he half suspected that when she went over the edge... so would he.

How could he not when she presented such a beautifully erotic image to all senses?

A lovely flush was spilling over Lucy's face and chest. His claws squeezed gently at her supple skin, his mouth crashing into hers as he sensed she was close.

She electrified his senses, her mouth greedy against his, rivaling that of a dragoness. His tail pressed and ground into her relentlessly. Hissing through the kiss, Natsu felt heat tighten within him, burning to suffocating heights as his own passion mounted. He wanted, wanted, _wanted_. But suddenly her thighs clamped tightly around his tail and everything went white behind his eyes.

Lucy let out a smothered sounding cry that Natsu swallowed, grunting out his own pleasure as his theory proved correct. He felt like hot liquid had spilled down his spine, the throbbing between his legs increasing tenfold before cooling.

Slowly they both relaxed, panting out shared breaths as they looked into one anothers eyes. Natsu laughed, wings growing slack around them as they folded back behind him.

He slipped his tail out from between Lucy's legs. His eyebrows widened at the slickness that was left on his scales, and he licked his lips. Natsu felt a touch of pride for getting her so worked up, his eyes sliding over Lucy's panting form.

He felt her pleasure, felt her come undone and cool off. Her ardor made his begin to come down in degrees, and he was able to think with a tad more coherency than before.

####

"You were beautiful." He purred into her hair, gently caressing her as she twitched in the aftermath of her pleasure, and kissed her softly.

"That was amazing." Lucy panted softly as her scattered senses started to return and she peeked up at him with a lazy smile, "My demon."

"Yours." He agreed with a smile of his own, "Forever."

Lucy basked for a moment before a thought trickled in and she frowned, "Why didn't you let me touch you?"

Natsu shrugged a little, which made his wings ripple, "I wanted to focus on you." He answered honestly, "And I didn't need it anyway. The feel of you alone was enough to drive me crazy."

Lucy wasn't quite sure what to make of _that_ , but she decided not to press the matter. She could tell by how relaxed he was that he _had_ gotten the same pleasure, so she supposed it didn't matter. Still...

"I hope you'll let me touch you sometime." She replied, a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

Natsu's eyebrows rose and he cackled out a laugh, "That won't be a problem Lucy!" He promised, and kissed her nose, "But you don't need to rush."

He brushed her hair back behind her ear, "I want you to be completely secure and comfortable with things between us first." He said seriously, "You are my queen, and I don't want to mess this up. No matter how badly I want some things from you."

Even if he hadn't been a golem, her happiness would make him happy. Despite her being his mistress, he never felt more free, and while he certainly desired her, she was in no obligation to do anything about that.

She really _was_ his queen.

Lucy's eyes seemed to glisten with water, her lips curving into a smile as she touched his cheek. She bent towards him and kissed him again, gently enough for him to feel her happiness.

"Come on, lets get cleaned up," Lucy laughed a little, "When your mom said for you to get some physical activity in, I don't think she had this in mind."

"Says who?" Natsu challenged back with a smirk. Lucy reached around and pinch his pec, causing the demon to yelp in surprise and hold his arms up defensively to guard his chest.

He stuck his tongue out at her and she giggled, fetching his shirt from the ground and sliding it around her shoulders. Natsu followed the motion with interest, watching as it swallowed her petit frame.

It fell down past the swell of her rear, only leaving a faint sliver of her skirt visible. Natsu's mouth watered at the sight of her in his shirt. His knee bounced as he watched her.

"Come on Natsu," Lucy fluffed her hair out from where it had gotten caught under his collar, "Lets head back to the room."

Natsu gulped and nodded, approaching his mistress to gather her in his arms and open his wings.

She was drenched in his scent.

It covered her from head to toe as if they'd just done _far_ more than what they had.

Natsu knew it was because she was wearing his shirt, and for no other reason, but that didn't stop his instincts from going haywire over it, and it was all he could do to repress a heated growl as he launched himself in the air and flew back down to the broad landing balcony their guest room had. Not that they'd ever used it for such.

He gently set her down, his fingers twitching with want, and he swallowed thickly, "Do you mind if I go first?" He growled roughly.

Lucy raised a curious eyebrow at his tone, but simply smiled and shook her head, "No, go ahead. I imagine you'll want a new pair of pants too."

Oh yeah. He probably would. Not that he cared at the moment.

It was all he could do to walk evenly past her and snag a change of clothes before walking stiffly to the bathroom. An action that had Lucy cocking her head in mild confusion.

He didn't notice though as he pushed the door shut, and turned on the water before practically tearing his pants off and stepping under the freezing spray in the vain hope that it would help calm his overheated blood down.

Perhaps he wasn't as easily satiated as he thought. Which only meant, he was in for a very interesting learning process.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks and love to all of our reviewers! We absolutely loved all of your feedback and the words of encouragement over our Anon. I saw their response to Mslead's rant, it's one of the first ones we got for last chapter, and honestly... I have no clue what they were really trying to say. Nor do I particularly care. It's our story, so it's our rules, and that's pretty much the beginning and end of it, so let's move on now. Do enjoy your preview my lovelies! You have more than earned it! :)_**

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!  
**_

 _"Have fun brother." Sting rumbled only to choke in surprise when a burst of light appeared out of nowhere and slammed into him._

 _He let out a roar of pain as the blast struck first his chest, but a repeat fire struck true into his wing. Natsu's whole body jerked through the air, and his eyes widened as he slipped backwards._

 _Sting's wing crumpled to his side, and Natsu flung his head towards Lucy even as he had no control over what was happening. His body couldn't find any purchase but that didn't stop him from trying to reach for Lucy._

 _Lucy's eyes were wide with shock, even as she reached back for him, their fingertips skimming one another before Natsu went slamming into the crates._

 _Sting was pinwheeling through the air, and Natsu was dazed even as his impact through the wooden grates did a better job at stopping him._

 _"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, afraid for her as she too lost her grip on Sting and fell through the air._


	38. Treant

Hey guys! Kytrin in for Mslead again! She's got another evil back-to-school shift at work, but like I said last time we can probably expect this off and on until school actually starts and things go back to normal for her. Or the story ends. Whichever comes first. And honestly I don't know which it will be. This chapter marks the start of the final countdown of Golem! That's right, we're on the first of our last 10 chapters! Lol hard to believe isn't it? I hope you all like the final part of the ride!

In other news... _**THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 38**

 **Treant**

 _Treants are sentient, mobile trees that can appear as normal trees, but if you anger them or ask them to reveal themselves, they will reveal their faces, their branches will turn into hundreds of strong arms and their lower trunks will split into legs. A full-grown treant in a bad mood is a fearsome sight._

* * *

"What do you mean they're leaving?" Came the shrill cry of young Wendy early the next morning. Lucy startled awake, while Natsu snorted upright before sinking right back down into his pillows.

She twaped him on the chest to wake him up, and Natsu let out another grunt before his eyes open and his brows tugged in a frown.

Wendy was loud, and getting louder. It was clear that even if Lucy hadn't woken him up, Wendy would have eventually gotten there herself. Natsu frowned as he sat up, his tapered ear twitching as he tilted his head to the door.

"What're they arguing about?" Lucy whispered only for Natsu to shush her. Lucy made an offended noise, but he waved his hands at her and slid out of their bed of pillows to tip toe to the wall.

His scarf trailed behind him, the long ends resting crookedly on his shoulders. Lucy watched his back in amusement, even as he tried to ninja-crawl his way to get a better listen in on the proceedings.

Not that his sensitive hearing was needed with how loudly Wendy seemed to be crying.

"But they just got here! I thought he was going to _stay_!" Wendy protested, the desperation and confusion clear in her voice.

Natsu's brows furrowed as he heard his mother's voice, much softer, respond to his distraught sister.

"They have a very important mission to accomplish back in Lucy's home town. They'll be needed, but don't worry, Sting will be accompanying them," Grandine soothed.

It seemed to be the incorrect thing to say, as Wendy's voice pitched again.

"Sting's going too? Then I have to as well! They could be hurt! And if anything bad happens to Lucy, it would be awful for her _and_ Natsu!" Wendy pleaded with her mother.

What Grandine said next was too soft for Natsu to hear, but Wendy's shout of frustration that came next was answer enough she had not gotten the response she wanted.

Lucy grimaced a little as Natsu prowled back over to their pillow nest to rejoin her, "Poor Wendy." She wrapped her arms around him, "Part of me kind of wishes we could stay, but..."

She shook her head and Natsu nodded his understanding.

"We've got a job to do." He agreed, "And if we don't things are just gonna get worse." He smiled at her, "Besides... I'd miss our Fairy Tail nest too much."

"Yeah." Lucy smiled back, "There's that too. I still feel kind of bad for Wendy though."

Natsu did too, but he shook his head resolutely, "She'll be alright, and once everything is taken care of she can come visit!" He grinned at her toothily, "She can crash at your big fancy mansion!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Natsu, that place is big enough for an entire nest of twenty if they didn't mind being in their human forms inside. Probably with room left over. She would get lost in there."

That sounded like a pretty impressive nest size to him, and he couldn't help wondering if maybe his siblings would be interested in a ready made nest like that. Hell, add him and Gajeel and their queens into the mix and that would be a pretty good core size. Sure, half the occupants were human, but so what?

Lucy stretched as she got up, "C'mon, we might as well get started for the day now." She sighed, "I expect Wendy will have something to say to us. Or at least me."

She hated that would be the case. She really liked Wendy, but it seemed like every time she turned around there was something new for the little dragoness to hiss at her over. She couldn't really blame Wendy when it happened, but at the same time it wasn't really her fault.

She would not, could not, leave her people to suffer against demons indefinitely. And where she went Natsu would follow. That was simply the way it was.

Maybe Wendy would understand that in time?

Natsu groaned and pawed at the empty covers, but twisted around to look over his delightful queen. He grudgingly followed her example and dragged himself out of the comfort of their bed.

"You know Wendy likes you," Natsu shuffled over to his pack to get dressed. It was the day they were due to leave, although he supposed he couldn't exactly blame Wendy for being so mad. Especially since she was being taken by surprise.

"Oh is that so?" Lucy asked in disbelief that had Natsu smiling innocently at her, "Because I could have sworn she had a major bone to pick with me ever since you out-stubborned me and almost had your soul ripped out."

"Details," Natsu shrugged and shrugged on one of the vests he got from Magnolia. It felt strange to be wearing clothing native to the humans again. He had begun to get used to the dress of dragons and demons.

"Just give her some time alright, she's young and a little frightened," Natsu wheedled. Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. The smile on her face told him he won though.

"Alright, lets go face the music," Lucy groaned, fitting on her skirt and a pair of knee-highs. She struggled into a sweater because she knew it was going to be cold up high where they would be flying, and proceeded to finish getting ready for the day.

Natsu grinned after her, rubbing a warm hand through his hair to make the spikes flair up in a disarray the way he liked it while Lucy combed her long hair out. Soon they left their little nest together and they headed out into the morning area.

There, Wendy was sulking away from her family, tears stinging in her eyes as she crouched down to hug her small arms around her knees.

When she spotted both Natsu and Lucy walk in, she got up and ran to Natsu.

"You're really leaving? So soon?" Wendy demanded, "But _this_ is your home!"

Natsu sighed a little and dropped his hand on top of Wendy's head, rubbing it lightly, "Magnolia's my home too." He told her, crouching down to her level, "It's where Lucy and all my Fairy Tail nestmates live."

"But they're humans!" Wendy protested, "Humans don't have nests! _We're_ you're nest brother!"

"Humans don't have nests, but they have families." Lucy said quietly, "And a family, especially the family you choose, looks out for each other. We protect and help each other through the good times and bad."

"Sounds like a nest to me." Natsu agreed as Wendy's eyes filled with tears.

"But even if that's the case, it's not fair!" She wailed, "You've only been back for a few weeks! Why can't you stay longer?"

Natsu grasped her shoulders, "Wendy," He said firmly, "We're not leaving because we want to. We're leaving because we _have_ to. A lot of good people, innocent people, have died because of this war, and a lot more will keep dying if we don't put an end to it soon."

He hugged her tightly, "I'm going to miss you. A lot. But I can't let anyone else die because of what Zeref made me do. I have to put things right, and the only way to do that is to stop the fighting."

Lucy smiled at him, beyond proud that he felt that way, and wasn't just doing this because she wanted it anymore.

"Then let me come with you!" Wendy protested, her voice muffled in his chest.

Before she could respond, Gradine gave a sharp growl that made Natsu jump.

"You are _not_ to go Wendy. You are still a hatchling, much too young to go out into a _war_!" Grandine barked at their daughter. Both Natsu and Wendy cowered back at the sight of their mother's anger. Even though it was muted, it had the desired effect.

Igneel came up behind his wife, setting a hand on her shoulder and closing his eyes for a moment, "Your mother is right. There is no use to try and rush into war. Battles will always be fought."

"And this one should have been fought years ago. It was my own fear and neglect on the state of matters which allowed things to escalate as far as it did," Igneel sighed and looked at Lucy and Natsu, "I am glad my son was awakened by you Lucy. It takes someone brave to be willing to do what you've done so far just to stand a chance."

Lucy's cheeks warmed over the praise, which coming from a dragon was very high indeed.

"Thank you very much Igneel," Lucy murmured, "And thank you for giving your support."

"It's I who should be thanking you." Igneel replied, "For waking me up to the reality of things, and forcing me to face it." He shook his head, "I fear I've fallen far from the ideals I fought for so hard in my youth. And I feel I owe you and your people an apology for four hundred years of silence."

Lucy stared at the dragon in surprise. A surprise that was mirrored by his family.

For Igneel to praise her was surprising enough, but for him to admit such a thing so openly, and all but offer an apology, was something else entirely.

Lucy smiled at him, but there was a hint of ferocity behind it when she did, "Don't apologize for what happened Igneel." She told him firmly, "Just keep doing what you already are. That, more than anything, will go a long ways towards fixing things. Once this stupid war is over, then we can work on rebuilding and mending bridges alright?"

Igneel stared at her for a long moment and then burst into deep throated laughter, "I understand what Metallicana was saying now."

He bobbed his head at her in respect, a fire starting to burn in his eyes that had been largely absent before, "Now, let's have breakfast. You and I both have work to do."

For the rest of the morning Wendy was sullen and quiet, although she seemed to liven up the longer they spoke to one another. However by the time breakfast was over and they were gathering their things to leave, she had once again fallen into silence and completely disappeared.

In fact, when they got up to the landing area with a transformed Sting, she didn't show up.

Natsu grunted as he accepted a large crate Igneel handed to him. It was supplies the dragons were providing for Fairy Tail, and they were sure to be useful in the coming months.

"It's a shame Wendy isn't seeing us off," Natsu pouted, "She must still be really mad."

"She's usually so sweet," Sting rumbled with a wiggle of his hips while Natsu balanced easily on his spine. The demon helped redistribute the weight of the crates, and Lucy even helped at his tail. She had gotten practice standing on top of a dragon's back, although it seemed to be less natural for her than it had been for Natsu.

"She's still mad at me I think," Lucy huffed as she tried, and failed to shove a heavy box up the slope of Sting's tail. Natsu hopped down from spine to spine to grab the rope, hoisting it, and Lucy up with one firm tug.

He showered her with a brilliant smile that almost blinded Lucy.

"Alright alright, don't be so smug," Lucy grinned back, "Are we about ready to head off then?"

Sting looked over his shoulder at the pile of boxes and other supplies and nodded, "You just need to secure yourselves and I can take off."

Natsu curled his arm around Lucy and helped her get tucked securely into the cushioned space left for them before joining her. He wasn't worried about walking around on Sting's back once he was in the air, but the takeoff could be a bit rough and he wanted to make sure he was on hand in case something slipped.

"Ready!" He called and they waved at Igneel and Grandine one last time as Sting flapped into the air.

Not surprisingly, Lucy held tight to Natsu up until they leveled out, but once they did she relaxed and let go of her death grip on him.

"You alright?" Natsu asked, and she nodded as she settled back onto the padding. Sting wasn't high up enough that it was freezing, or going fast enough it was impossible to talk, so now that they were level she was perfectly happy to just sit there. As long as she didn't have to try and walk around.

"Yeah, I'm good." She replied, "I don't think I'll be getting up though."

Natsu grinned, not in the least surprised, and stretched, "I'm gonna go check out the view then."

Natsu got up, balancing well on Sting's back, and Lucy gave him a grumpy look. She couldn't help but be a little envious of his innate sense of balance when it came to walking on a dragon's back while in motion. So long as Sting didn't go too fast, Natsu could walk on him almost like he was walking on level ground.

She supposed it was an dragon thing since every dragon she had met could do it.

Although for a human, she liked to think she faired pretty well.

Of course watching Natsu walk up the much narrow expanse of Sting's neck so he could settle on his brother's head right between his horns, was rather alarming.

Lucy grumbled and settled her arms around Happy to leech onto the little cat's warmth, who looked up at her. She heard Natsu's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying as he bent down over Sting's eyes. His scarf and vest were flapping wildly in the wind, but he looked at ease on his perch.

"I don't see how he can do that at all," Lucy muttered to Happy.

The cat laughed and settled himself against Lucy's shoulder.

"All dragons like heights, they're fliers like me! I get why it freaks you out though. I couldn't imagine being like one of those _weird_ cats that live with the humans," Happy made a face, "The don't even have wings!"

Seeing the amusement on his face, Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Yeah yeah. I see your point."

"How soon do you think we'll make it to Magnolia at this rate?" Lucy called out. Natsu looked up from where he was crouched on Sting, his brother's head swiveling up.

"I'm not sure. Maybe three to four more hours?" Sting replied, "We're going pretty slow and steady with all the supplies I'm carrying."

Lucy sighed and decided to pull out a book and see if it was possible to read for a while. Or maybe take a nap if not. She tugged one out of her pack, holding it up so Natsu could see what she was doing.

He grinned back at her and gave her a thumbs up before settling back down, "She's gonna read for a while." He told his brother, "Too bad. She's missing out."

Sting chuckled a little, "I can't blame her for being nervous." He replied, "She doesn't have that sense of balance dragons do."

Well that was true. Still, Natsu kind of wished she was up there with him to see the amazing views. But without something to keep her from falling he could understand why she wouldn't move.

Things descended into silence after that as both Sting and Natsu just enjoyed the sensation of flying, and it wasn't long before they'd moved far beyond the range of the nest and into the true unclaimed wilds.

About an hour or so into the trip Natsu stretched a little and got up, "I'm gonna go check on Lucy and stretch my legs."

"Have fun brother." Sting rumbled only to choke in surprise when a burst of light appeared out of nowhere and slammed into him.

He let out a roar of pain as the blast struck first his chest, but a repeat fire struck true into his wing. Natsu's whole body jerked through the air, and his eyes widened as he slipped backwards.

Sting's wing crumpled to his side, and Natsu flung his head towards Lucy even as he had no control over what was happening. His body couldn't find any purchase but that didn't stop him from trying to reach for Lucy.

Lucy's eyes were wide with shock, even as she reached back for him, their fingertips skimming one another before Natsu went slamming into the crates.

Sting was pinwheeling through the air, and Natsu was dazed even as his impact through the wooden grates did a better job at stopping him.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, afraid for her as she too lost her grip on Sting and fell through the air.

Luckily, Happy was with her, and the feline thought quickly as he scooped her up and opened his wings.

Natsu for his part however, was confused. Because he could see another pair of legs and arms falling through the air. Which was impossible because Sting was a dragon, Lucy was safe in Happy's hold - but...

His vision came back into focus as he plummeted through the air, long blue hair and white feathery clothes.

 _Wendy!_

Natsu groaned as he realized his stubborn little sister had chosen to come along by any means necessary. Smuggling herself on board, it was just sheer luck Natsu had smashed into the crate to show they were even there.

He let out a snarl, summoning his demon form in an instant so he could open his wings and catch a hold of her sister.

She was out of it, but Natsu still held onto her tightly, even as his eyes searched wildly for his brother.

"Sting!" Natsu shouted as his brother lost control of his transformation and became just a speck in the distance, _"STING!"_

There was no way to reach him in time however. Between Sting flinging them off, and the chaos of catching Wendy, they'd gotten separated pretty widely. However, before he could think about trying to go after his brother anyway a square speck appeared in the distance. One he immediately recognized.

Tartaros.

He bared his fangs in a savage growl and dove for the cover of the trees where they wouldn't be able to see him from that range.

Luckily Happy was still thinking on his feet and dove after him without questioning why they weren't heading to where Sting was.

"Natsu!" Lucy called as they landed, "What happened? Why aren't we going after Sting?" She paused and gaped at Natsu's burden, "Why is Wendy here?!"

"It looks like someone was determined to come along no matter what." Natsu growled as he set his sister down, "As for the rest, I spotted Tartaros in the distance. They were the ones who shot Sting out of the air. Flying right now would be too dangerous."

"Oh no." Lucy breathed, and shook her head, "Alright, the most important thing is getting Sting and getting out of here. If we try to stay put Tartaros will definitely find us."

"Yeah." Natsu agreed grimly, "Do you have your communication lacrima?"

"It was in my pack." Lucy replied, "Let's see if we can find it. If we're lucky it won't be broken."

Natsu nodded, "I'll go look. Can you stay and look after Wendy?"

"Of course." Lucy replied, and sighed, "Try to grab whatever you can in case we wind up having to make it back on our own. We're out in the middle of nowhere. We won't make it anywhere to be helpful to anyone if we can't survive."

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to all of our reviewers! Your feedback was a bit mixed since not everyone was into some of the content last chapter, but that's okay. We appreciate your candidness, and I hope our future scenes are more to your liking. Regardless, we love you all to pieces for reviewing and letting us know! Enjoy your sneak peek! You more than earned it! :)**_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _"Oh, you're awake" A voice, quiet and nearby called to his attention. Sting blinked and sat up a fraction, his eyes drawing towards the murky face of a human woman._

 _She had snow-like hair that hung in short locks around her face and kind eyes that watched him with a hint of apprehension and curiosity._

 _The scent of magic came off her, and Sting at once knew she was a mage._

 _"How are you feeling Mr. Dragon?" She asked him quietly, reaching out with cautious hands to adjust the bandage around his head._

 _He tracked her movements with his eyes, sensing her hesitation behind her movements. After all, humans had a very real, inherent, fear of dragons. Sting could transform in a second and snap her hand off at the wrist if he felt so inclined._

 _He had to grudgingly admit it was brave of her to reach a hand out to what was an apex predator._


	39. Snow Maiden

Hey guys! Kytrin again! I actually don't have any housekeeping for you guys this chapter, so I'll just say enjoy the chapter! :)

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 39**

 **Snow Maiden**

 _The Snow Maiden is a character in Russian folktales. She is very beautiful and often depicted with snow white skin, deep sky-blue eyes and curly fair hair. She is the daughter of the immortal Gods, Father Frost and Mother Spring. In the stories, she usually goes to live with humans to care for an elderly couple who have no children._

* * *

Sting's body was sore, and not only that, his back was aching as if Natsu had set it on fire and left it to burn. Light filtered through his eyelids, branding against his face until he was forced to wake up.

A bandage was wrapped tightly around his head and chest while the room he was in was overgrown with herbs and plants.

It was blurry but was fast coming into focus.

"Oh, you're awake." A voice, quiet and nearby called to his attention. Sting blinked and sat up a fraction, his eyes drawing towards the murky face of a human woman.

She had snow-like hair that hung in short locks around her face and kind eyes that watched him with a hint of apprehension and curiosity.

The scent of magic came off her, and Sting at once knew she was a mage.

"How are you feeling Mr. Dragon?" She asked him quietly, reaching out with cautious hands to adjust the bandage around his head.

He tracked her movements with his eyes, sensing her hesitation behind her movements. After all, humans had a very real, inherent, fear of dragons. Sting could transform in a second and snap her hand off at the wrist if he felt so inclined.

He had to grudgingly admit it was brave of her to reach a hand out to what was an apex predator.

Even braver as, despite her caution, he couldn't feel her hands shaking at all. It was strange. Lucy he expected. She'd dealt with his brother for months before making it to the mountain. Hell, she'd been trekking to see them at the mountain via Metallicana in the first place!

Of course, Lucy was also a powerful wizard who had been fighting demons for years. Something like that was automatically worthy of respect for dragons no matter what species you were.

Pantherliliy was well liked at the nest for that very reason.

This girl however...

Regardless of the magic he smelled on her, or her steady hands, there was absolutely no reason to believe she was one of the few, like Lucy, worthy of respect.

He tolerated her adjusting his bandages for a moment before his eyes narrowed and he growled lowly at her.

Her movements immediately stilled and she pulled back, giving him a curious look, "Did I pull something there Mr. Dragon?"

Sting didn't reply, but she didn't seem too bothered by it as she sat back, "Well, it's alright anyway. Everything looks like it's healing well. I've brought some food for you if you're hungry."

A muscle in his cheek twitched as she made to get up.

Perhaps moving in his current state wasn't the best of ideas, but he couldn't help it. Sting's hand reached out, looping firmly around the woman's wrist to keep her in place.

A flicker of alarm flashed over her eyes, but she made sure to keep her fear off her face. There was only caution, and her hand at her waist on a ring of keys.

It was one that looked familiar, and Sting had seen Lucy carry something similar around many times before.

She was a Celestial Mage.

"Who are you?" He asked sharply, "Where's my brother, his exceed, and his queen?"

The woman shook her head, her expression relaxing by degrees. Her hand lifted off the ring by her side and slowly settled over her wrist where his hand rested.

"I didn't see anyone else. I saw only you when you transformed and dropped out of the sky," The woman clarified, "I'm sorry, I'm not known to be the most lucky of people, but Tartaros was nearby."

"I saw their cube decloak when their canons fired over you. You were flying just low enough under the cloud lines. even if you were hard to see with your scales," she murmured, "when you fell, I knew it was only a matter of time before they found you so I... I brought you here."

She looked down at his hands, "I'm sorry, I didn't see anyone else with you."

Tartaros had been who shot him out of the sky?

That was not good. Of course, now that he was thinking about it he wasn't sure why this surprised him any. They knew Tartaros was eager to get their hands on his brother, and the flight back was a perfect ambush time since he'd been flying slowly and largely unable to fight without throwing off Lucy and his cargo. Though he had to wonder how they'd known he was there...

He was more worried about Natsu and Lucy though. He'd bucked them pretty hard when he was shot and there was no telling how far he'd flung them or if they were alright.

"If you'd like, Mr. Dragon, I can keep an eye out for anyone else until you're healed enough to go?" The girl asked tentatively, startling him out of his thoughts and bringing his gaze back on her.

"Why would you do that?" He demanded, perhaps more harshly than was warranted, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with human trickiness.

She blinked at him slowly, as if not understanding why he was growling at her, "Because it's the right thing to do?"

She flushed a bit and dropped her gaze again when he continued to stare at her, "I mean, I know it may not be much, but they're important to you right? It's important we look after the people who mean the most to us."

Well that wasn't what he'd expected.

Of course, given she was human, he was kind of surprised he hadn't been harvested for his body parts or something yet.

Had he really been lucky enough to find a human that wouldn't do that? One that was like Lucy?

Considering he had gotten shot through the wing, Sting didn't think his luck was much to brag about at the moment.

Still, that was the same thing Lucy had said to him the other night when they growled at one another. That not all humans could be judged the same as Zeref. But it wasn't so easy for him to believe it. He had grown up believing his twin had been killed by humans... only for that to not be necessarily true.

His return didn't wash away years of suspicion.

Later that night his parents had pulled him aside to talk to him about being at ease with the humans once he arrived at Magnolia. It was up to him to represent his kind, and that meant being patient.

And open to having them change his mind.

He struggled to take a deep breath and looked up at the woman.

"My name is Sting," He said slowly, "What's yours?"

The startled look on her face was quickly replaced by a smile that seemed to light up the room, "I'm Yukino!" She replied brightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you Sting!"

And strangely enough, he could tell she meant it. Though he wasn't sure why given how he'd been growling at her since he woke up.

Still, he wasn't going to argue over it. So he shifted into a more comfortable position and carefully reached for the thick stew she's brought him, "Can I ask where we are Yukino?" He asked curiously, "I thought we were in the middle of nowhere."

Yukino laughed a little, "We _are_ in the middle of nowhere!" She replied, but shrugged, "My village is a small hunting and logging village. So we're pretty remote. It's a full day to get to the next nearest village, and four to a town of any size."

That would explain why they hadn't been detected so close to dragon territory then.

If the humans were careful to avoid cutting large swaths of trees and kept quiet and to themselves chances were no dragon would even notice them while flying overhead.

He took a careful bite of his stew and blinked in surprise at how good it was. Probably the best he'd ever tasted, and he was royalty.

"This... is really good." He muttered, more to himself than anything, as he took another bite, but she still heard him and her smile returned. He coughed a little in embarrassment and shifted slightly, wincing a little as he did, "So how did you get me here?"

"Oh that's easy!" Yukino replied and patted her keys, "Libra can control gravity, so it was simple for her to reverse your gravity enough to make you light enough to move."

"So you carried me here?" Sting asked for clarification, somewhat amazed despite himself how she was able to move a heavier-than-average male to her home in uneven terrain.

"Are there a lot of mages in your little village?" He asked.

Yukio nodded at his first question but shook her head for the second. She swallowed tightly and hunched her shoulders together.

"Actually no. I'm the only one," Yukino smiled at him, even though it was with a touch of nerves. She scooted forward until her knees were touching the edge of his bed, "Can I tell you something secret?"

Curious, over what she could possibly have to share with him, he nodded.

"The people here don't really like magic, I'm not even sure they realize how close they are to dragons," Yukino twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers, "I didn't even know until I saw you fall out of the sky."

Sting watched her as Yukino bent forward, and he realized she was afraid. But not necessarily of _him_.

"I kept you a secret, no one knows you're here or what you are," Yukino whispered, "They may confuse you with a demon, and even if they don't - they don't like magical people."

She knew that from experience. He could tell by the shadows in her eyes. Was that why she considered herself unlucky? Because she'd been born with a gift none of these other backwater humans could understand?

It made him wonder how she'd learned celestial magic in the first place if that was the case.

Perhaps she'd learned it from a parent or sibling?

Whatever the case, it wasn't his place to ask something that personal. So he nodded instead.

"Thank you." He replied, "For keeping me secret and warning me."

He frowned a little, "But if that's the case, it's even more important my brother be found before he can go charging into your village."

Yukino nodded, "It's been about a day and a half since I found you." She replied, "I'm not sure how quickly your brother will be able to arrive if he got hurt as badly as you were..."

Sting laughed a little at that, "He wasn't hit by Tartaros either. He'll be fine as long as he wasn't caught."

A possibility that concerned him deeply, but he was confident in Natsu's ability to slip out from under their radar. He was honestly more worried about where they'd landed and if Lucy was uninjured. That would be a significant problem if she was hurt, but she'd had Happy with her so hopefully he was worrying for nothing.

Yukino smiled back at him, "Then I'll go keep a look out for him." She promised, "If I see him I'll bring him and his, er, Queen back here."

"In the meantime, please try to get some rest Sting, I don't know much about dragons or their wings, but I know you fell hard," Yukino smiled at him, "I think your wing will recover as your body heals."

"Unless it works differently?" She asked.

Sting reached around to his back, hissing a bit as his muscles stretched what was clearly a raw spot just near his spine.

"My wings are sort of an extension, if they're injured in any way, the wound transfers to my body in a relatable way. I won't be able to transform easily until it heals, then I'll be able to fly again," Sting grunted his explanation.

He wasn't sure why he was sharing this with his would be savior, but she was kind and had a sweet smile.

"We regenerate quickly though, so it shouldn't be a problem," Sting murmured.

Yukino smiled and pulled the blankets away enough for Sting to slide back under them to rest. With that said, it was imperative that he worked on healing.

Especially since he was definitely in an unfamiliar town that wasn't exactly friendly to magical beings.

Not to mention Tartaros breathing down their necks.

He got a good look at Yukino as his eyes dropped off. Her clothes were shabby, and while her home looked comfortable, there were definite signs of decay and age.

She was also more thin than seemed exactly healthy. His stomach twisted with the taste of stew as he suddenly realized she might have given what little food she had for the day to him.

But he was warm, and found himself drifting off before he could open his mouth and question her.

Tricky human indeed, Sting blinked at her sluggishly. He wondered if she had put some medicine in his stew to help him sleep.

He didn't exactly feel angry about it though. Somehow, with the stubborn little human sitting at his bed, he felt safe.

Yukino watched the dragon, Sting, fall asleep with a soft smile before getting up and stepping out of the room. As much as she wouldn't have minded staying at his bedside she had work to do.

She hadn't quite given him all of her food in that stew, but it had certainly been all of her meat and most of her vegetables. She sighed a little as she realized she would be dining on oatmeal with dried fruit in it tonight, and would have to go into town tomorrow.

That wasn't something she was particularly looking forward to.

She stood out in town because of her strange white hair, and venturing into town meant dealing with the townsfolk that liked to call her names. Though no one dared lay a hand on her anymore. The last time anyone had tried Pices had appeared on their own, and very forcefully taught the boys trying to corner her that doing so was not a smart idea.

She just hoped she would be able to purchase or trade enough to get the meat a healing dragon required. If not she would have to try hunting, and that was something she didn't want to do if she could avoid it.

She'd done it before, and knew she probably would again, but it wasn't something she enjoyed by any means.

She shook her head a little and started getting her dinner ready. She would worry about it in the morning.

-::-

When Sting awoke, he was greeted to an empty house. He slowly pushed himself up, swinging his legs out to the floor. Ginger in his movements, he swallowed down a whimper the movement caused.

He felt sluggish, but much better than the day before. He wobbled for a moment, but managed to stay upright.

He staggered across the room in just four steps, leaning his arms against a paned window. The glass was milky and yellow.

It was thick, but looked brittle to the touch. Sting was almost afraid if he touched it, his hand would punch a hole in it.

He bent closer as he spotted movement outside, the tip of his nose grazing the glass.

A smile quirked at his lips as he spotted Yukino moving around in her garden.

She looked dirty from head to toe, even as she shuffled around on all fours to pull weeds.

It looked like she was keeping herself busy.

Turning towards the door, he almost missed the bowl on a rickety looking table that was missing a leg. It was being propped up by a large crate. Sting quirked his head as he spotted the obscene looking bowl filled to the brim with oatmeal and dried nuts and berries. It looked good.

Next to it, in pretty looped handwriting was his name. He touched the parchment, his thumb running over the 'S' in his name.

She'd made this specifically for him?

For some reason the knowledge she'd gone out of her way to label this as his touched him. As a dragon he was no stranger to possessive tendencies, and he certainly loved getting more things to add to his hoard, but Yukino didn't have the resources to spare for him. And yet she'd gone out of her way to designate something as exclusively his.

Suddenly he felt bad for how much he'd growled at her before.

He smiled a little as he picked up the bowl before it could get cold, and hobbled towards the door so he could at least thank her for her kindness.

He didn't get very far though as Yukino had apparently finished her work in the garden and came inside with a basket of vegetables and other plants that Sting though might've been gathered in the nearby forest.

"Oh!" She exclaimed at the sight of him on his feet, "Sting! I wasn't expecting to see you up!"

Sting flashed her a slightly sheepish smile, "I just woke." He admitted awkwardly, "I thought you were busy in the garden and I might join you while I ate?"

Why did that sound so stupid said aloud?

Yukino, however, just smiled sweetly at him, "I appreciate that." She replied, "Why don't you sit while I deal with this?" She gestured to her basket, "That way we can talk while you eat."

And they did just that. Sting settled down obediently to eat while Yukino put her load away.

And they talked a long time, going back and forth about their likes and dislikes until Yukino eventually got him to open up about his family.

She talked to him about her own, and how she had lost her parents to raids by Zeref cultists and her sister to demons. She had inherited her sister's keys in the attack, but never saw her again.

Stings heart went out to her, since she had been alone for a very long time.

While his family had lost Natsu, they all had one another for support.

So, with hesitation, he told her about their family's story. It was difficult for a dragon to trust someone with a story so guarded and secret, but he felt as if he owed her for the kindness and generosity she had already shown him.

"Oh Sting..." Yukino breathed, her hands reaching out to curl around his, "I'm so sorry! I can't even imagine how terrible that must've been for you all!"

Sting swallowed a little around the lump that suddenly formed in his throat, and squeezed her hands gently, "Thanks Yukino." He replied softly, and smiled a little at her, "We got through it though. And we were lucky. Really lucky. Natsu came back to us and he's found a beautiful Queen in Lucy."

"Lucy is another dragon?" Yukino asked curiously.

Sting shook his head, "No. Lucy's human. Just like you." He sighed a little, "Their story is… complicated. And I'm not the one who should be telling it. I'm just glad my brother is alive."

Yukino nodded sympathetically, "I understand."

"Er, I didn't mean…" Sting replied a little awkwardly, belatedly realizing how that sounded, but Yukino waved him off.

"No it's alright. I know what you meant." She smiled at him, "But it's sweet of you to think of that anyway."

"I'm not sweet." Sting huffed, causing her to laugh, "I'm not! I'm a dragon!"

"You cant' be both?" Yukino teased and laughed a little harder. Sting shot her a pouty look, but couldn't help smiling a bit anyway for the way she lightened the mood a little. Even if it had been at his own expense. Now, _that_ was a nice he could appreciate. Light and airy. Just like his own element.

The thought made him want to purr a little, and his cheeks started to flush again as he realized the direction his thoughts were taking.

He was saved, however, when Yukino glanced at the clock and sighed as she reluctantly pulled away, "I have to go." She told him, "If we don't want to keep eating oatmeal and stewed vegetables I need to head into town and try to get some meat."

Sting frowned a little at the word try, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Yukino smiled again and shook her head, "No. The villagers will know right away you're new, and being with me they'll assume the worst. Besides, you're still injured. You should rest a little more if you can. I shouldn't be gone too long."

Though she was definitely going to need a bath before she went. The last time she'd showed up looking grubby she'd been chased out of the butcher's shop entirely.

Sting huffed, not liking the idea of her heading off alone. Yukino was a strong woman living alone, but there seemed to be a sadness that clung to her.

"I might be injured, and I may be new, but at least I can help you carry your load back," Sting wheedled, pushing forward into her personal space and flashing her a sunny smile.

Yukino blinked, a little startled by the shocking blue in his eyes. She wasn't afraid of the slitted pupils that stared back at her. Rather, she found them very pretty.

Blond hair hung down over those eyes, and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was - now that he was smiling of course.

"Come on Yukino, let me help," He pleaded, "Dragons don't do well when they're cooped up inside."

She felt warmth skated down her cheeks and she turned around, away from his puppy eyes and whines.

"It'll be fine Sting!" She stammered, "just wait right here!"

Sting pouted at her back, noticing how distinctly delicate it looked, and decided on the spot that no matter what she said... he would follow her into town. He might not be the stealth expert Rogue was, but he knew how to stay hidden when the need arose. He _was_ a predator after all.

"Yukinoooo..." He whined one more time, "I'll be bored!"

Yukino had to bite her lip to keep from either giving in or laughing at his antics and glanced at him over her shoulder, "You're welcome to read any of the books in the house." She replied before darting back outside and to the makeshift shower she had set up out there.

Sting blinked a little in surprise that she went _outside_ for her shower, and grimaced a bit at the idea she didn't have an indoor one that functioned anymore. As much as an outdoor bath could be fun in nice weather like this, he didn't even want to imagine one in winter or bad weather.

Maybe he should offer to take her with him when he left?

The thought startled him, but he quickly warmed up to it. As tragic as it was there was no reason for her to stay really, and she would _certainly_ fare better around other wizards like Lucy or the guild he'd heard so much about.

He would pose the offer to her. Later.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to all of our lovely reviewers! You guys mostly screamed about the StingxYukino we hinted at in the sneak peek, but that's okay lol. We enjoyed watching your screams all the same. I can't think of anything that needs to be addressed here either right off hand, so you brats enjoy your preview and I'll see you next chapter! :)_**

* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _The sounds of heavy boots stomping nearby caused them to shrink down to the ground, hiding behind the thick roots of a tree. Natsu held his breath, fangs bared. They were being hunted. Rather, they had been hunted for just over two days now._

 _It was difficult to evade the low level demons that had been released from Tartaros, especially when Natsu was also trying to locate his brother, but that hadn't stopped them for the last two days._

 _It didn't help that from the smells he was picking up, they were getting dangerously close to a human village too. In fact, that was about the last thing they needed._

 _They waited tensely until the boots stomped off out of range again. But they were sure to be back. And soon. More worrying were those they didn't hear coming a mile off._

 _"We can't keep this up Natsu." Wendy hissed quietly, worry in her voice, "At this rate they'll have us hemmed in."_


	40. Kappa

_Hey guys! Just to let you know, Mslead will be dealing with RL for the foreseeable future, so there's a good chance I'll be updating from here on in. Thankfully I've managed to get it down to a science by now, so don't worry too much about delays. I also have a couple of notes for you at the end of the chapter, so please take a glance at those._

 _As always... **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 40**

 **Kappa**

 _Kappas are mischievous, legendary creatures, water-type sprites found in Japanese folklore. In medieval Japan, this humanoid creatures were believed to dwell in lakes, rivers and swampy areas. Drownings and child kidnapping were attributed to this creature._

* * *

Natsu pushed away thick branches, suddenly stopping and crouching down low when a rustle in the trees sounded nearby.

Lucy nudged up closer to him, even as he pressed a finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet. Happy saluted and whispered out a low 'aye' that went unheard by everyone but him.

The sounds of heavy boots stomping nearby caused them to shrink down to the ground, hiding behind the thick roots of a tree. Natsu held his breath, fangs bared. They were being hunted. Rather, they had been hunted for just over two days now.

It was difficult to evade the low level demons that had been released from Tartaros, especially when Natsu was also trying to locate his brother, but that hadn't stopped them.

It didn't help that from the smells he was picking up, they were getting dangerously close to a human village too. In fact, that was about the last thing they needed.

They waited tensely until the boots stomped off out of range again. But they were sure to be back. And soon. More worrying were those they didn't hear coming a mile off.

"We can't keep this up Natsu." Wendy hissed quietly, worry in her voice, "At this rate they'll have us hemmed in."

"Yeah, I know." Natsu replied just as lowly, "But we don't have a choice if we're gonna find Sting."

"Gemini!" Lucy breathed excitedly, and the other two stared at her in confusion.

Lucy just grinned as she pulled out one of her keys, "You haven't met Gemini yet." She explained in a whisper as she slashed the key through the air, and a pair of twin spirits popped into being next to Lucy.

"Lucy!" One greeted happily, "It's been forever since you called pipi!"

Lucy quickly shushed them and grinned at the pair, "I know." She whispered, "Sorry about that. Listen, we need your help. A bunch of demons are hunting after us. They want to get their hands on Natsu, can you give us a distraction?"

"Absolutely!" The twins replied and scrutinized a skeptical looking Natsu carefully for a moment before sighing and shaking their heads, "We can't change into him." One chimed, "He's too strong." The other agreed, "We're sorry pipi!"

Lucy just grinned, "That's fine. You can change into me. The demons will want me too since I'm who he's bonded to. And they'll think if they see me he can't be far away."

Gemini nodded and quickly morphed into a replica of Lucy, which had Natsu's jaw practically hitting the forest floor.

"Perfect!" Lucy praised in satisfaction, "How long do you think you can keep them distracted?"

"A few hours easy." Gemini replied in Lucy's voice, "But if we go too long we'll risk depleting your magic energy too much."

"That's fine." Lucy replied, "We just need them out of the area so we can find Natsu's brother and get out of here. Don't take any risks you don't have to, and go back through the gate if you get caught okay?"

"Piri Piri!" Gemini responded and set her hands on her hips, "Good luck! And be careful Ms. Lucy!"

With that the spirits rushed off, leaving the four alone again. Natsu grinned fiercely at Lucy and smacked a wet kiss to her cheek.

"That was amazing!" He gushed in an awed whisper, "You're so awesome Lucy, I can't believe you had something like that up your sleeve, what else can your spirits do?"

Lucy just winked and tapped his nose, making her demon go cross eyed at the gesture, "You'll just have to wait and find out!"

"Now lets go, we have to take advantage of every second Gemini gets us!" Lucy tugged his hand.

Natsu nodded back at her, settled Happy on his shoulder and took his sister's hand, "Come on, we've got Sting's scent over here."

-::-

Meanwhile, Sting was doing as his caretaker asked and definitely was not following her into town. He was most certainly not ducking behind trees when she suspiciously turned around, or hiding behind rocks.

In fact, when he _happened_ to end up in town, Sting called it a happy accident. Because what were the chances he would end up in the same place as Yukino?

At least he had the sense to get dressed and look somewhat normal as he followed her into town, covering up his bandages and injuries as he swaggered after her.

The truth was, he was a _little_ worried for Yukino. The way she had described these people made him cautious at best. This was not a good way to feel either. He suspected Yukino had powerful magic of her own, but if these people had hurt her with their ignorance while she was a child...

Well that conditioning was tough to break.

It seemed he was right to worry too.

As soon as Yukino got into the village proper people stopped and stared at her hatefully, whispering words like witch and demon-child behind their hands, but loud enough for Yukino to hear never mind Sting's hearing.

He ground his fangs together, swallowing the urge to growl at them for saying such things about the human who had been kind to him and made him smile.

Didn't they know they had an angel walking among them?

Apparently not.

Yukino ignored it with a poise and grace that confirmed Sting's belief that she should be a Queen among humans. His own mother couldn't have done better.

He drew the line, however, when a couple hatchling brats decided to start following her and throwing rocks at her.

He eeled his way closer, careful not to let himself get seen, and stealthily lobbed small stones at the hatchlings who thought it was fun to torment Yukino.

Their surprised yelps had him smirking in satisfaction as he ducked quickly out of sight again.

Yukino looked behind her suspiciously when the children who had been haunting her mysteriously disappeared. She took a few more steps before slowing down and whipping around. She saw no signs she was being followed but...

"Sting, come on out," She called, "I know you're following me. You just couldn't resist, could you?"

There was nothing for a minute, but slowly, he reluctantly peered his head out from around the corner of a building, giving her the largest puppy eyes she had ever seen.

"Oh don't you look at me like that," Yukino wagged her finger at the dragon who slunk over to her like a scolded dog. If he had a tail, it would be curled between his legs.

"I thought I told you to stay put?" Yukino asked, but couldn't help but smile at him.

Sting's grin spread over his face at the sight of her smile and he rubbed the back of his head, "I've never been real good at following directions Yuki, what can I say?"

"Fine then, since the villagers already think I'm a witch, I guess it won't hurt anything now," Yukino sighed, "I'll just say you're my familiar or something."

Sting gave her a vaguely affronted look, in which Yukino rolled her eyes and flashed him a coy smile, "Kidding!"

"Mostly," She muttered under her breath, causing Sting to snort out a laugh.

This time when she walked, he did it side by side with her, his eyes on the move on every unfriendly face they walked by. Yukino tucked a nervous lock of hair behind her ear, her fingers fidgeting with her basket.

Sting looked at her, and settled a hand over her trembling one, offering her a smile to keep her steady.

"Hey relax. I may be a bit banged up, but I'm not going to let anyone hurt you Yukino, I owe you my life and I'm definitely going to repay that." He vowed.

Yukino gave him a wane smile, but he was happy to see one none the less on her face.

When they made it to the butcher Yukino paused just outside, "Would you mind waiting out here Sting?" She asked shyly, "It's kind of cramped in there."

Sting knew immediately that wasn't the real reason. The real reason probably had more to do with her trying to keep him out of the butcher's face. However, as much as he knew he could handle a fight with a human, especially a non-magical one, it wouldn't do them any good if he caused a scene unless they planned to rob the butcher of his meat.

Which wouldn't bother _him_ any, but Yukino would probably take exception to.

So he nodded agreeably and settled down to lean against the doorframe outside.

He would be able to hear everything that happened in there anyway, so if there really was a problem he would know it immediately.

Yukino smiled at him and patted his arm before heading inside.

He watched the other passerby of the small village with narrow eyes as Yukino greeted the butcher in a trembling voice that made him want to punch something just on principle.

He wasn't given time to contemplate it for long though as no sooner had Yukino settled in to attempt to bargain for some meat then a very familiar pink head of hair came barreling into the center of town.

"Hey! Townspeople!" Natsu bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Have any of you seen my brother Sting?"

Sting gawked a little at his twin as Lucy came up behind him at a more sedate pace and sighed, "Natsu, there are nicer ways of asking that..."

"But this is faster." Natsu replied obliviously, causing Sting to snort as he pushed away from his doorpost.

"Over here Natsu." He called with a smirk, only for his jaw to drop in surprise again when Wendy appeared out from behind Lucy, "Wha-? Wendy?! What are you doing here?"

"Someone decided to stow away." Lucy replied in amusement, ruffling Wendy's hair, "Lucky for her the crate she was in broke and Natsu caught her in time."

"Wendy..." Sting growled at his sister, who shuffled her feet and attempted to give her older brother the most watery eyed look he had ever seen.

Before he could comment on it however, Wendy gasped and rushed over to him, "Oh Sting you're hurt really badly! Let me heal you!"

"Yeah you're real beat up, how'd that happen?" Natsu asked, peering at Sting with squinted eyes.

"He got shot through the wing remember?" Lucy reminded with a dry smile, "You happened to be there. Riding on his back when it happened."

"Yeah but his face wasn't all beat up," Natsu pointed rudely at Sting's forehead. The blond swatted at his hand and growled.

"I fell a couple of hundred feet through the air and landed on my head," Sting growled, "What's your excuse?"

"What was that ya sparkler?" Natsu growled back at his brother, baring his fangs at Sting.

The sight reminded Sting almost at once of their location. It was clear they were beginning to attract attention, and not exactly the kind they wanted.

"Wait, this isn't the spot for this Natsu," He muttered to his brother as he caught sight of the unfriendly looks they were beginning to get.

Natsu seemed to realize this too late, and he subconsciously rubbed at his arms where his tattoos were being magically concealed.

Sting saw the way his brother's eyes darted around for the moment and suspected he had experience with intolerant humans in the past.

This would only make trouble for Yukino if they lingered.

"Sting?" Yukino's voice sounded behind them, and he winced a little. She sounded frightened.

"Uh, Yukino!" He stammered nervously as he turned around to look at her, "This is my brother I was telling you about. Sorry for the scene. He's not very good at subtle."

Yukino smiled at the trio, and despite the way her hands were trembling a little around her empty basket it was clear she was pleased to see them, "It's nice to meet you." She nudged Sting a little, "We should go though. Quickly."

Sting nodded and hastily grabbed hold of Natsu before any more questions could be asked.

"Right. Let's go." He agreed tersely and shot the others a look to not argue at all.

Lucy simply nodded grimly, and tugged at a confused looking Wendy as they quickly vacated the village. Once they were outside, and away from the baleful glares, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew! Is it always like that there?"

"I'm afraid so." Yukino replied softly, "The villagers aren't very fond of magic, people who use it, or anyone different at all really."

"Wow..." Lucy sympathized, "That's got to be rough."

She smiled a little, "I'm Lucy by the way. It's nice to meet you, er... Yukino right?"

"Yes," Yukino smiled and reached her hand out to grasp Lucy's. They shook before Yukino returned her hand to where she was holding her basket.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to get any meat," Yukino apologized, frowning at the basket as they began their trek up to her home, "It's going to be oatmeal for a while I'm afraid."

"What? That sucks," Natsu blinked at her before he bent next to Wendy and whispered, "What's oatmeal?"

The little dragon giggled and whispered an answer back while Sting shook his head, "Don't worry about the meat Yukino."

"He's right," Natsu punched his fist into an open palm, causing plumes of fire to burst around his fist.

"We can hunt you what you need Yukino! It shouldn't take long at all," Natsu grinned widely, "I don't even get why my dumb brother didn't think of it himself. He's just really rude I guess." He shot Sting a scandalized look, "What would mother say?"

Wendy giggled again.

"I'll show you dumb and rude," Sting growled at Natsu.

"Natsu..." Lucy sighed, "You do realize Sting's been injured right?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Natsu demanded, "I bet I could bring back enough meat to last Yukino all year if I was twice as injured!"

"There's no way you could!" Sting snapped, baring his fangs at Natsu, "And I'm the one who owes her the debt anyway! If anyone is going to bring her meat it's going to be me!"

"Oh yeah?" Natsu grinned wickedly, "Just try and stop me!"

With that he took off running for the forest at top speed with Sting hot on his heels.

"Uh... did they just...?" Yukino trailed off in confusion, not entirely sure what had just happened.

"Go tearing off into the woods so they could brag about who can bring you back the most food?" Lucy sighed, "Yep."

Wendy flashed Yukino a smile, "We should probably head to your house and just wait for them there. They won't be long."

Yukino blinked in surprise, "But doesn't hunting usually take hours or days?"

Wendy laughed a little, "Not if the hunter is a dragon in a contest!" She shrugged, "If you want I can catch you a few rabbits or something while we wait? They'll probably be hungry when they get back."

"Only if you want," Yukino smiled at the young dragoness. Wendy gave Yukino a wide smile before she darted off into the woods after her brothers.

"You seem very used to this," Yukino observed as the resumed their trek back to her home with Happy next to them.

"I've had a little time to adjust to dragons, especially when they get into a scrape." Lucy laughed when they turned the path and ended up at Yukino quaint home.

Yukino and Lucy began to get the stove burning for their meal when Wendy returned with a bushel of rabbits in each hand.

She grinned happily at her catch and ran towards Lucy to sit beside her and begin cleaning them.

Lucy made a face at the sight, but Yukino dove right into it. Wendy seemed to think it was perfectly fine to just bite right into the rabbit, but Yukino gently shooed her away. Then she began to show Lucy the proper way to gut and skin the small animal.

Lucy had seen it a few times on their travels with the demon tribe on Galuna or when Natsu and Gajeel found them food. Usually they dealt with all the gore involved though.

But all that aside, they made quick work of the rabbits and began to cook.

By the time their dragons returned, the meat was hot and ready.

"They're back!" Happy called out, and Wendy rushed to the window, waving at her brothers.

Yukino ventured over, but her jaw nearly hit the ground at the sight.

Natsu was taking the front, completely soaked with his hair plastered down on his head and a massive fish dragging behind him. It was like some kind of sea creature from the lagoon near town.

And behind Natsu, Sting was walking at a slower pace, but was carrying a massive looking boar over his head. It was easily double his size, and she honestly wasn't sure what she was going to do with all this meat.

Lucy laughed a little at the look on Yukino's face, "Don't worry too much. With three dragons here I can guarantee half of it will be gone in a day or two at most."

She shook her head in bemusement as Natsu dropped the fish with a thump, and went over to greet him, "Did you have fun?"

"You bet I did!" Natsu crowed proudly, flames licking over him for a moment as he dried off, "That lake has all kinds of stuff in it! It's great!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled him into a kiss, pleased to see he'd kept up his habit of gutting it at the kill site, "Well, Wendy caught us some rabbits while you two were out. The first of them are done roasting now, but leave the others alone to cook okay?"

Meanwhile, Sting dropped his boar down and gave Yukino a grin, "I don't think you'll run out of good meat for a while."

"Definitely not!" Yukino giggled, "I was expecting you to bring back a deer or something. Not this much."

Sting smirked, "We leave the deer for the fledglings to practice on unless we're especially hungry for venison."

He preened a little at the praise anyway. He liked how impressed she was with his hunting skills. It made him want to purr and curl around her protectively.

The thought brought him up short and he could feel his cheek starting to heat up. What was he even thinking? She was nice, and had saved his life, but seriously... he had not just been thinking about curling up around her!

Oh but he had. And suddenly Sting was a lot more surprised by his earlier thoughts.

He had wanted to bring Yukino with them. And he had been hellaciously determined to beat Natsu and bring back the biggest kill for her.

He damn near swallowed his tongue when he saw how she fended off Natsu's greedy hands and brought him a plate.

"T-thanks," Sting stammered in surprise. Natsu and Lucy gave one another curious looks.

Neither said anything however as they settled down to eat the delightful meal.

"So... do you practice any magic Yukino?" Lucy asked after a few minutes of slightly awkward silence.

"Oh yes!" Yukino exclaimed, happy to have something to talk about, "I'm a celestial wizard." She smiled as she showed Lucy her keys, "These are mostly my sister's keys. I inherited them from her, and taught myself from what she showed me."

Lucy stared at Yukino in slack jawed shock, "You're... Oh my gods!"

Yukino blinked in shock at Lucy's exclamation, "I hope that hasn't upset you."

"Upset?" Lucy spluttered, "No way! Yukino, I've never met another celestial wizard before! I've never even heard of anyone else practicing it!"

Yukino's expression lit up as she realized what Lucy was saying, "Truly? You're a celestial wizard too?" She leaned forward excitedly, "Tell me, what spirits are you contracted with?"

Lucy grinned and pulled her keys out, "I got most of them from my mom." She explained as she laid them out, "She was big on collecting the Zodiac keys, but I've got a few others. Would you like to meet Plu?"

Natsu grinned as he watched the two women talk about their key spirits. As far as he was concerned Lucy's collection was much better, but he was happy she'd found a friend that practiced the same kind of magic she did.

He nodded his head to Sting, who seemed to get the message and walked after him. They slipped out the backdoor and into the garden.

Natsu crouched down besides a grouping of plump looking eggplants and strawberries.

"So, you said Yukino saved you?" Natsu asked his little brother. Sting raised an eyebrow at his twin and slowly knelt next to him.

"Yeah, she did. She was able to summon her spirit to make me light enough to carry home. Then she bandaged me up," Sting replied, wondering why Natsu's expression was turned inward.

He set a hand on the demon's shoulder and Natsu looked up with a grin.

Meeting it with a smile, Sting relaxed and sat down next to his brother.

"What's the matter Natsu?" He asked.

His brother seemed to hesitate. His brows pulling into the center, frowning at something he couldn't see.

"Sting, you've been around Wendy for a while now and she still hasn't healed you," Natsu asked Sting, looking a little sly, "What's the hold up?"

Sting opened his mouth, sensing something was bothering his brother.

"I hadn't thought about it." He admitted after a moment. Which sounded stupid even to his own ears. He knew it was Tartaros that had shot him out of the sky, and with Tartaros you could bet on there being a follow up.

"Well you should." Natsu replied, "And the sooner the better. We've already got demon hunters on our tails, and if it wasn't for Lucy finding a way to draw them off we probably wouldn't have found you yet."

Sting grimaced and nodded, "Sorry Natsu. I'll ask her when we go back inside."

Natsu's pensive look suddenly melted away and he flashed Sting a wicked grin, "Well it's not like I can blame you. I'd be dragging my feet too if it was me and Lucy in there!"

Sting flushed brightly and crossed his arms, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure ya don't." Natsu cackled quietly, "And you have no idea Yukino's queen material either right?"

"Well of course she's queen material!" Sting began hotly only to find himself staring at the broadest, wickedest, grin he'd ever seen. And all of it was directed right at him.

That could, in no way, be good.

One annoying finger jabbed Sting right in a tender spot on his chest, square in the middle of a bruise. Sting snarled angrily, but as most things went with Natsu, it was ignored.

"You _like_ her don't you? " he accused, pressing his face into Sting's.

"That's why you've been dragging your feet to get healed, and why you've been considering stealing her away. Don't deny it either, I see it in your eyes," Natsu grinned.

"You're like a dragon lusting over a princess to steal away," Natsu smirked, "No lying now. Remember, I'm a demon."

"You're a demon alright." Sting muttered as he slapped at Natsu's finger, which only seemed to make that smirk widen, "It's not like she deserves to stay here anyway." He huffed, "She'd be a lot happier someplace where her magic was appreciated."

"That's not a denial!" Natsu cackled, and Sting glared at him.

"Alright fine!" He snarled, "I like her! Are you happy now?"

As soon as those words were out of his mouth there was a soft gasp behind him that stopped his heart. He slowly turned to stare at a stunned looking Yukino, "Uh..."

He barely even noticed Lucy stepping around him to grab Natsu and drag him into the forest. He didn't even care. All of his attention was focused entirely on Yukino.

"Erm..." He tried again with no more success, "I assume you heard all of that?"

Yukino nodded mutely, her eyes still wide with shock that Sting might like her, "Lucy wanted to see what was taking you so long..." She shifted a little, her resolve stiffening, "You really like me?"

Sting blushed, but stepped closer to her, wary of scaring her off, "Yeah. I mean... you're nice, and you don't mind that I'm a dragon... plus you saved me..."

Ugh. Could he sound any stupider? He was usually more articulate than this, but something about this woman left him completely tongue tied and useless.

It didn't help that he could hear his absolute _demon_ of a brother cackling in the distance. He had definitely seen Yukino coming up but had chosen to say nothing.

Sting felt a hot flush crawl over his cheeks, and he lightly caught Yukino's hand in his. It was so much smaller in his grasp, and definitely delicate, even with the rough skin on her fingertips from her hard labor.

"I like you Yukino, and I owe you enough to want you to be happy," Sting continued quietly, "If you come with us, I can't say it'll be easy. But it will never be boring."

This earned him a fluttering smile that painted warm colors on her snowy cheeks. Yukino looked up at him shyly.

"That sounds really fun," She admitted, fingers curling into his hand.

"But I'm not sure I can leave Sting," Yukino bit her bottom lip, "I like you Sting, I really do."

"But I've stayed here for so long because I've always believed my sister would one day return," Yukino whispered in apology.

Sting felt hurt stab through him at her reason for staying. Sorano had been taken by Zeref fanatics working for demons. The odds of anyone surviving that were slim. Least of all a little girl. Surely Yukino realized that?

"Yuki..." He began only to be cut off when she shook her head.

"I know what you're going to say." She said softly, regret clear on her face, "But there's always the chance isn't there? There's always hope."

And that hope was probably all that had kept her going in the face of the town's hatred. Damnit. Why couldn't this be simple? She deserved so much more than this meagre existence as a virtual exile. He wanted to give her that. He _could_ give her that.

"We could help you try to find her instead?" He offered.

He could see the conflict on Yukino's face. The desire to go was plain, and it made him equal parts hurt and angry that she had to think so much about this at all. Surely that was a good solution too right?

This way they would all get what they wanted right?

Except, in the end, she sighed and shook her head, "Where would I look for her?" She asked quietly, "I wouldn't even know where to begin. At least this place will be the one place she'll know to come back to."

Sting felt his heart clench at the sad reasoning. Frustration and hurt curled through him, as he wasn't quite sure what to say.

But he let his own feelings fall aside, and settled for quiet admiration for the strong woman who would willingly put herself in poverty and loneliness for the hope of family. Because really, in her position, what would he do?

His own brother and sister had risked being caught by patrols just to find him. It also didn't take a genius to figure they would never stop until they located him.

He just hoped for Yukino's sake, that her sister was alive and safe. At least to keep her hope alive and burning.

Sting nodded to her, and she took a shy step forward. Swallowing slightly, as Sting realized what she wanted, he held his arms out to her.

She slid into his embrace easily and he curled her small frame to his chest. She smelled nice, like crisp apples and something floral.

Sting inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, taking the moment to enjoy the feel of her in his arms and imagine the possibilities of her coming with him. The 'what ifs' were unwise, but Sting couldn't help but torture himself with the possibilities.

Because Yukino was a special kind of treasure. And even if nothing ever came from their affection, he would have loved the opportunity to try.

"I'm sorry." Yukino whispered into his chest, and he tightened his grip on her.

"It's okay." He breathed, even though it really wasn't. He would let her keep the illusion that everything was alright. It seemed like the least he could do for the woman who had saved him.

They weren't given long to enjoy the moment however, as Lucy came sprinting back from the forest as fast as she could move.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt guys." She panted, "But we've got a serious problem. Loke just told me that Gemini had to pass back through the gate because they were captured! That means the hunters are probably headed straight back in this direction. Natsu says we have to leave now if we're going to have any hope of drawing them away from the villagers."

Sting swore at the news and looked at Yukino apologetically, "I'm sorry Yuki..."

Yukino just nodded and nudged him, "Go. Do what you have to do." She smiled, "Maybe you'll come back to visit one day too."

Lucy glanced between them, clearly confused about why Yukino wasn't going with them, but elected to not say anything as Sting reluctantly let her go. Instead she flashed Yukino a smile, "Thanks again for all your help."

Yukino nodded with a smile as Natsu showed up on the treeline, "C'mon! Let's get moving!"

Sting shot Yukino one last look before he turned with Lucy and jogged into the trees.

When they were gone and out of sight, Yukino took a deep, watery breath. Tears stung at her eyes and she shuffled back into her home.

Time ticked by as she putted around her quiet home. Everything was empty and silent, and even as she sliced off a piece of fish for her to broil and eat, she couldn't help but notice the silence. For a while there, she had company and everything had been a little less lonely. Sting had such a bright, boyish smile and loud personality.

And he wanted to take her away from this sad place. Yukino touched her keys, her expression apologetic even as the tears welled in her eyes.

She should be grateful she even got the time with Sting and his unusual family.

"It's not like I'm really alone," She held her keys up to her chest, sucking in a steadying breath, "You are precious friends too."

There was no response, save for a warming in her palm.

There was a hard knock on the door, and Yukino gasped, quickly wiping her tears. Had they forgotten something so soon?

"Coming!" She called out, walking over to the door and pulling it open, "What did you leave behind-"

The question was stopped in her throat at the sight of a large demon, looking amphibian in nature as he loomed over her. Her eyes flickered to the double hammer shield tattooed onto him.

One of Tartaros' members.

Yukino took a frightened step back, the blood draining from her face.

"Now just who were you expecting little girl?" He sneered. When he smiled, rows of razor sharp teeth grinned at her, and Yukino reached for her keys.

Too fast, the demon had Yukino by the throat, her keys falling to a clatter on the floor. She couldn't even scream.

The demon nodded to a lesser one by his side, "Take her keys and scout on ahead. They couldn't have gotten far."

The demon nodded and slunk by, scooping up her keys and darting out of her house.

Yukino tried to gasp for air, but without her keys the struggle was feeble. His meaty claw gripped her, even as her feet dangled and twitched in the air.

"Where are they?" The demon growled, "Their scents cling to you."

Yukino gripped the massive hand holding her with two hands but remained unsuccessful in her attempt to pry it off. Still, it gave her enough room to shake her head and glare in response.

No matter what, she wouldn't give up her friends. Not the first ones she had in years.

"Brave little worm, aren't you?" The demon rumbled, "Suit yourself."

He threw Yukino to the ground, her head cracking hard against the corner of the table.

And then everything went dark.

* * *

 _ **And there you are! An extra long chapter! Real quick, a couple bits of housekeeping...**_

 _ **One, we've had a couple of guest type messages from folks asking how we maintain our update schedule, and since I can't reply to those I thought I'd try to explain briefly here. Put simply, the trick is to have a good bumper crop of chapters (about 10-15) already written before you start to post, and to write EVERY chance you get.**_

 _ **Mslead and I treat our writing as a form of stress relief so we work on our stories every time we both are online together. This ensures that we're always adding to our chapter collection and that's what allows us to keep the fast updates even before the story is done. This method might not work for everyone, but there it is all the same. I hope that helps! :)**_

 _ **Two, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but please, please, please, don't leave reviews that just say update. I know most of you don't do this, but there's always a few, and it's extremely aggravating to see that and nothing else at all.**_

 _ **It also feels disrespectful. As if you're saying that all the time and care I JUST put into the chapter isn't worth the effort of at least telling me if you liked it or not. Don't do this. If you truly cannot think of anything else to say then just don't leave a review. I promise we won't miss it, and our blood pressure will thank you.**_

 _ **That's it from me! Special thanks and love to our beloved reviewers who DID leave proper reviews! We love you to pieces, and enjoy your well earned Sneak Peek! *kisses***_

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _The first sign of trouble they had was when there was a loud thump and Wendy cried out in surprise as she was tackled to the ground_

 _"Wendy!" Natsu exclaimed as they spun around to see a large demon sitting on top of her and yanking her hair back, "Looking for something?"_

 _Natsu growled and stepped forward, but the demon promptly started charging something in his hand, "Ah, ah, ah!" He smirked, "We wouldn't want to find out just what kind of damage I might do to that pretty little face would we?"_

 _Natsu stared at his little sister and held his hands up peacefully. An angry vein throbbed at his temple and in his neck, but he made no move to attack._

 _"Fine then, I won't do anything," Natsu grunted, but a smile slowly drifted over his face, "But I don't speak for **her**."_

 _Before the demon could realize what Natsu was talking about, Wendy let loose a huge roar of wind magic, shooting both herself and her would-be assailant into the air._


	41. Hellhound

_Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 41! No housekeeping this chapter, but I have to say I was a little surprised by some of the genuine rage over Sting and co. leaving last chapter. I have a note about that at the end of the chapter. For now, just enjoy the new one! :)_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 41**

 **Hellhound**

 _In European legends, seeing a hellhound or hearing it howl may be an omen or even a cause of death. They are said to be the protectors of the supernatural. (all kinds of supernatural creatures) Guarding the secrecy of supernatural creatures, or beings, from the world._

* * *

Sting didn't quite growl as they set off, _without_ Yukino, but his dark expression was more than enough warning to let the others know not to mess with him right now even if they hadn't been trying to put as much distance between the hunters and themselves as they could.

However, that did not mean the expression went unnoticed.

Lucy shot Natsu a worried look, but he just shook his head back. Whatever had happened they didn't have time to deal with it now.

Unfortunately, it seemed that despite their efforts, the hunters had caught up more quickly than they'd imagined.

And they were cleverer now.

The first sign of trouble they had was when there was a loud thump and Wendy cried out in surprise as she was tackled to the ground

"Wendy!" Natsu exclaimed as they spun around to see a large demon sitting on top of her and yanking her hair back, "Looking for something?"

Natsu growled and stepped forward, but the demon promptly started charging something in his hand, "Ah, ah, ah!" He smirked, "We wouldn't want to find out just what kind of damage I might do to that pretty little face would we?"

Natsu stared at his little sister and held his hands up peacefully. An angry vein throbbed at his temple and in his neck, but he made no move to attack.

"Fine then, I won't do anything," Natsu grunted, but a smile slowly drifted over his face, "But I don't speak for _her_."

Before the demon could realize what Natsu was talking about, Wendy let loose a huge roar of wind magic, shooting both herself and her would-be assailant into the air.

The demon shrieked in anger as he slammed into a tree. Wendy scrambled for balance and managed to clumsily make her way back down to Lucy while the demon swore and struggled to dislodge himself from the tangle of branches.

A struggle that caused something shiny to fly through the air as it dislodged itself from wherever it had been hidden. It skittered into the tall grass, hidden before the two dragons. However, Sting had the sight of a treasure hunter, as all of their kind did, and he was easily able to pick up on the glimmer through the foliage.

He bent an arm down, scooping up a ring of keys that jingled merrily in the wind.

Celestial keys.

Sting recognized them immediately, his blood freezing cold in his veins. There was no mistaking Yukino's keys.

They were well cared for, polished and glittery like all the world's finest coins.

She would never willingly part from the keys her sister gave her.

"Are those...?" Lucy asked in shock.

"Yukino's keys." Sting snarled furiously, and before anyone could stop him he charged straight back in the direction they'd come from.

"Hey!" Lucy called, "Sting! Damn..." She sighed and summoned Loke's stardress, "I'm going after him. Roast this guy fast okay Natsu?"

"You got it." Natsu growled darkly, and smacked his fist into his palm, sparks leaping out as he advanced. He was not pleased with the idea that the hunters had potentially hurt, or worse, the sweet human that had saved Sting and reminded him so much of Lucy.

"What?" The demon mocked, "You think you can take me END? I was assigned specifically to hunt you down!"

"Buddy... my _little sister_ can take you." Nastu growled back, "But we don't have time for her to play, so we'll have to do this the fast and dirty way."

Before the demon could respond Natsu lunged for him and slammed a fiery fist into his face that sent him flying, but there wasn't time for him to recover as Natsu immediately sucked in a breath.

"Fire dragon roar!" He shouted, unleashing a swath of destructive flame directly at the demon.

He hadn't had a lot of time to get some proper training with Igneel, but it was enough to augment the basics he'd instinctively known.

Or at least focus them in such a way he wasn't just spitting out drooling balls of fire at a moment's notice.

Natsu licked his lips as he watched the demon burn away, carrying out his mistresses' order in a flash.

He glanced at Wendy, "Alright let's go. We're behind the curve and Yukino may need you."

Wendy nodded and balled her small hands into fists, "Yeah! Let's go!" She crowed enthusiastically and rushed towards Natsu, who turned and headed into the woods, carving out a path for Wendy as he ran.

He hoped Sting got to Yukino in time.

-::-

For Sting's part, he wasn't paying attention to anything besides his fervent motivation to keep moving.

Yukino's life was in danger. Because of him. This was his fault, he lead the demons right to her door. Now the war had found her and was going to hurt her like it did thousands of others.

He skidded to a halt as her house came into view however. It was still intact, or what passed for intact for it anyway, but he could both hear and smell the signs of another demon still inside the terrifyingly quiet house.

He didn't know what that meant, and he urgently wanted to go bashing his way inside, but his instincts were screaming at him that there was a trap of some kind here.

And he'd been listening to his instincts since he was a small hatchling.

Whatever he did, he would have to be cautious.

"Sting!" Lucy gasped as she joined him and he turned to clap his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhh..." He growled softly, "Something's not right. It's too quiet."

Lucy nodded, giving him a wordless signal she would follow his lead on whatever came next. Gratitude shot through him, and his nerves calmed to know he at least had Lucy by his side.

"You had your spirits make a distraction before, can they do it again?" Sting asked her quietly.

Lucy shook her head, "Gemini can't come back out so soon after being captured. It'll be unpleasant for them."

Her eyes flashed to the rickety old well nearby.

"But if it's a distraction you need, I think I've got just the idea," her lips quirked.

She snuck off a few steps, but quickly double backed and gripped Sting's arm.

"You may want to hang onto something."

Sting stared at her in confusion, but grabbed hold of something anyway. Whatever Lucy was planning it had to be big. She grinned back at him and crept over to the well where she carefully pulled out Aquarius' key and sank it into the well water.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer!" She whispered intently, "Aquarius!"

There was a doorbell sound and Sting's jaw dropped as Lucy's spirit appeared in a golden glow.

Lucy hadn't brought her spirits out much at the nest, and he knew he hadn't met all of them, but he was impressed by the blue mermaid. At least until she oriented herself and leveled a glare at Lucy that probably rivaled Igneel at his angriest.

"What are you doing summoning me without warning?" Aquarius demanded indignantly, getting into Lucy's face, "I was on a date you know!"

"Sorry!" Lucy replied apologetically, shocking Sting even more, "But Yukino is in trouble, and we need you to flood her house to flush out the demon. Please?"

"So I'm your cleaner now?" Aquarius lifted her urn above her bead. Sting felt a chill run down his spine.

"Tch," her lip curled and the mermaids eyes blazed with a fire that sprang from hell itself, "I'll flush everything out!"

At that moment, Sting was very glad he was holding onto something. Because not even that stopped him as Aquarius unleashed a tidal wave of magic that slammed into Yukino's home and carried him in through the window.

He managed to hold his breath in time, clear water blasting around them as he was swirled and tossed around.

In the water, he caught sight of a surprised demon and unconscious Yukino, who seemed to have a bubble around her head. Though the cloud of red that also hung around her head was more than a little alarming.

Aquarius' blast punched a hole into the other side of the house, and Sting floated gently out onto the grass from the other side, Yukino safe in his arms.

Lucy, however, wasn't given time to so much as glance at Yukino as her attention was taken by the enormous lizard-like demon stepping through the hole Aquarius had created.

"I was not expecting my quarry to come rushing back." He rumbled, "Clearly that fool failed in his mission. Though I should not have expected any less from low-class scum like that."

Lucy forced herself not to take an involuntary step back as the demon moved a little closer, his gaze intent on her in a way that kind of reminded her of Natsu but without any of Natsu's warmth. It made her skin crawl to see it.

"I am Torafuzar." The demon rumbled without any sign of anger or impatience, "One of the nine gates of Tartaros. You must be Lucy Heartfilia, the current mistress to END. My mission is to capture you and END. Something I had hoped to do without unnecessary violence, but that would appear to be out of the question."

He shifted into a battle ready stance as dark, disgusting, water began spouting up around him, "I will endeavor to make this as quick as possible."

Lucy barely had time to register what he was doing as a tidal wave of that filthy looking water headed straight for them.

Aquarius rushed forward as Lucy desperately equipped her stardress to try and stop or slow the assault.

However the attack pummeled straight through their magic, the dark carbon filled water a different kind than what could typically be controlled. Aquarius was blasted right out of the mortal plane in a shower of stars while Lucy was thrown back against the well.

She picked herself up, coughing around a mouthful of the poisonous water.

So this was one of the Nine Gates? They were powerful. Stronger than what Lucy thought was even possible.

She groaned and pushed herself up onto shaky arms. The demon advanced slowly, his shark like eyes never drawing away from her.

He lifted a clawed, meaty hand. "All I need to do is kill you. That will be enough to sever the link with END and revert him back to the empty shell he is."

"Then I can simply collect him at my leisure. Perhaps I'll even bond him to me, a better option than one of the other's getting their hands on him," He growled low, but raised his hand dangerously over her head.

Lucy reached for the water behind her, but it was useless, black and unresponsive. She had no defense.

One was not needed however, as moments before impact a blast of white hot light impacted Torafuzar squarely in the side and sent him flying.

She looked up to find an enraged looking Sting flying over the house with a limp Yukino still in his arms, "Lucy," He growled as he deposited Yukino gently at her feet, "Please look after Yukino."

Lucy nodded mutely and watched as Sting stalked after his prey.

"That was a mistake boy." Torafuzar said as he pulled himself out of the remains of the tree he'd impacted, "You were not part of my mission, and so didn't have to die."

Sting's expression darkened, "You'll find I'm no mere hatchling demon." He snarled and a white aura appeared around him, "And I will not die as easily as you might think."

"You are a dragon, however." Torafuzer replied, "Your kind have never cared about demon affairs. You're breaking your own laws doing this."

Sting didn't reply as he brought his hands together, and Lucy watched in awe as pure light appeared between them, spilling through the cracks until he pulled them apart and unleashed a barrage of light beams at Torafuzer.

The dragon didn't stop to see what the effect was before leaping into the air, "White dragon wing attack!"

Lucy's eyes widened at the sight. This was a pissed off Natsu level of pummeling he was unleashing. Were all dragons really that powerful?

Sting flew at the dragon, disappearing into the light he caused, but it gradually died down in flickers. Enough for Lucy to see what was happening.

The dragon's arms had lashed out in an arc, his feet splitting the earth and his fists crushing into the demon.

Unfortunately, Torafuzar was not the type to go down so easily. He was one of the Nine Gates after all.

"Lucy! Take Yukino and get out of here! Head back to my brother!" Sting shouted at her.

Realizing the dragon couldn't go all out with her and Yukino standing there, she quickly summoned her Taurus stardress so she could carry her friend.

"Be careful Sting!" Lucy called back.

Torafuzar let out a snarl, his temper finally beginning to show in sparks and flares, "You will not cause me to lose my quarry, snake!"

His form rippled, changing shape and size right before them.

Lucy took the opportunity to run.

Because she knew just as well as anyone connected to dragons, that he had more than one trick up his sleeve.

She didn't look back as she ran as fast as she could back towards where she'd last seen Natsu. She was pretty sure she would know it if anyone came after her at this point, and finding her demon was paramount.

"Natsu!" She called urgently, hoping his heightened hearing would pick up on it without attracting anyone else, but she couldn't see any sign of pink hair in the thick trees.

A trickle of panic slid down her spine as she looked around. Had she mis-remembered where Natsu was? Had he moved during his own fight? That other demon hadn't looked like anything Natsu couldn't easily handle, but maybe looks had been deceiving?

She wasn't so sure now, and she was starting to get worried she wouldn't be able to find him or Wendy.

Her spinning thoughts came to an abrupt halt though as she rounded one particularly large tree and bumped into a warm body that caught her easily around the waist in a familiar touch that instantly soothed her.

"I told ya I heard her this way." Natsu grinned at Wendy as he steadied Lucy, but frowned at what she was carrying, "What happened?"

"A lot." Lucy replied shortly as she set Yukino down, though she shot him a grateful look for the save, "One of the Nine Gates, Torafuzar I think he said his name was, ambushed her. Wendy, can you look at her please? I'm not sure how long she's been out, but it's been at least several minutes."

"Yes, of course," Wendy bent down, her hands reaching out on either side of Yukino's head. There was an ugly gash bleeding sluggishly, and had she not been a durable Mage she no doubt would have died from it.

"It's good you got her to me when you did," Her brow creased as she worked, "She's in pretty bad shape."

Natsu reached over to Lucy, his eyes dragging over her face and shoulders to look at her carefully. His brow furrowed in anger, clearly picking up on the signs of abuse she had taken.

"Torafuzer is all muscle and probably the closest thing to an enforcer Tartaros has got," Natsu hissed, pupils slanting into sharp lines.

He gently tilted Lucy's face in his warm hands, with far more care than he needed to show.

"I hope Sting leaves me a piece to incinerate before he's done," Natsu growled.

Lucy smiled faintly at the sentiment, "If he does you can turn him into ash for all I care." She replied, "But for right now I'm more worried about the townsfolk. Maybe they were awful to Yukino, but they don't deserve to die at demonic hands."

Natsu felt a surge of pride in him at Lucy's determination to check on the people. There were some things about his mistress that would never change.

He nodded and glanced at his sister, "Can you protect Yukino while we go?" He asked, already scooping Lucy up for a fire aided sprint.

He'd already caught the scent of smoke in the distance, and didn't want to waste time with Lucy's speed.

"I can handle it." Wendy replied firmly, "Go on. I'll roar or something if there's a problem."

Natsu nodded and took off at top speed towards the village.

Unfortunately... his top speed wasn't nearly fast enough.

In the distraction of dealing with Yukino and Torafuzar, his minions had been given free reign over the village. A village that had not been built to withstand this kind of demonic attack.

A village that was now burning as the demons within it cackled and danced in glee among the corpses piled in the center.

Natsu skidded to a halt, his heels digging into the ground at the sight that greeted him. Cold horror slid down his spine and bile bubbled up into his throat.

Shaking, he set Lucy down to try and steady suddenly shaky legs. Because suddenly he had all of his memories rushing back to him in a wave. Of every terrible deed he had committed, of piles of bodies stacked by his own hands just like what he saw on proud display now.

His stomach wanted to revolt at the sight, a sweat breaking out over his trembling arms.

He felt rooted in place. Like chains had wrapped around his wrists and were preventing him from moving. Stopping him from even budging an inch to react in any way. Muscle memory, conditioning, whatever it was, Natsu felt sick.

At least until Lucy stepped forward, tears running down her face.

"You monsters!" She screamed in disgust and charged forward, without pause or care to her own safety.

It was enough to snap his attention back to focus, his horrified thoughts fading into the back of his mind as he remembered where he was and what he needed to do.

This was not the past.

And he was ready now.

Natsu let out a roar of fury, vowing to deal out the punishment that was so deserving of these animals. He joined his mistress, fire lashing across his body as he moved.

There was no bringing back the humans, but that didn't mean he couldn't put a few demons in the ground next to them.

The demons outnumbered them by quite a few, but they were the same kind of low to medium level scum Lucy had fought against since she'd joined the magic knights. They were no match for her fury. Especially with Natsu watching her back.

It was ultimately little consolation though.

The people of this village were still dead, and even after Natsu sucked all the fire off the buildings it was clear that there was nothing salvageable in the wreckage.

It was a complete loss.

"Natsu..." Lucy choked as she looked around after the last demon fell, "If only we'd..."

She sighed and took a deep breath. This was not the first time she'd seen devastation and loss like this. This wasn't the first village to be burned to the ground and it's people executed horrifically. And as long as the war lasted it wouldn't be the last.

That didn't make it any less a sharp slap in the face though.

In all of her doings, all of her comings and goings and plotting, she'd somehow forgotten what the raging war looked like. And just who was caught in the middle of it.

There was no _if only_ for this. She knew that. They'd left precisely to try and avert this very thing. Staying might not have done anything except bring in greater numbers of demons.

But despite knowing that, her heart still ached, and when Natsu slipped his arms around her with a soft, apologetic, whine she held onto him tightly as she quietly grieved.

* * *

 ** _Okay! I hope that cleared up any of the confusion from last chapter about the leaving scene. If not... I'll deal with that if it's a real issue. In the meantime..._**

 ** _Special thanks and love to our reviewers as always! You guys completely rock and we love you! Please enjoy your sneak peek. You more than earned it! :)_**

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _"Sorano, her name is Sorano," Yukino croaked._

 _Jellal inhaled sharply at that, drawing everyone's eyes to him, but he didn't seem to notice as he stared at Yukino in shock._

 _"I had no idea..." He breathed, caught somewhere between horrified and stunned._

 _"Jellal?" Erza prompted, causing him to blink a little and look at her, "What do you know?"_

 _Jellal shook his head and gave Yukino a soft smile, "Apologies. I was just surprised. I know your sister."_


	42. Hestia

_Hey guys Kytrin here! I've got a relatively short chapter for you this time. It was originally longer, but when I started reviewing it I decided the second part worked better with the next chapter. So even if this one's a bit short you'll get a nice long one next chapter! :)_

 _As always... **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 42**

 **Hestia**

 _In Ancient Greek religion, Hestia is a virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and the right ordering of domesticity, the family, and the state._

* * *

When Sting returned, his face was scraped up and dirty. It was clear his fight with Torafuzer had ended in a success for him. But even so, this was no victory.

He gaped at the sight of his brother and Lucy quietly hunched over along the edge of the village.

"What happened!" Sting called and ran over to them. Lucy looked up when he approached, her face tense and tear stained.

"There wasn't anything we could do," Lucy said hoarsely. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, but gave no more information than that.

She didn't have to.

Sting stared at the ruined village in shock. These people had been unkind and cruel, but in a swoop they were all dead.

Every last one of them.

"Yukino, is she-?" Sting demanded, suddenly terrified.

Lucy sniffed and shook her head, "No, she's fine. I found Wendy in time. She's guarding her now. I'm not sure if she's awake yet or not."

"I am." Yukino's voice sounded softly to one side, and they turned as one to find her staring at the devastation with wide, shocked, eyes.

"Yukino..." Lucy murmured, her heart clenching anew at the horrified pain on her friend's face, "I..." She trailed off, not sure what to say.

She knew from experience that no amount of 'I'm sorry' would ever suffice. She'd lashed out at the officials who had dared to utter those words after she'd received word about Deliora. I'm sorry didn't even begin to cover it.

"I wish..." She tried again, but the words failed her once again. She already knew intellectually that there was nothing more any of them could've done. They'd tried their best. It simply hadn't been good enough.

Yukino, however, seemed to understand what she was trying to say anyway. For all the good it did as the shock gave way to grief and she dropped to the ground as she burst into tears.

Sting moved to her side and knelt beside her so he could wrap his arms around her the same way he'd seen Natsu just doing to Lucy.

Yukino gripped his arm, crying out into his shoulder over her lost home. She gripped him tightly, as if afraid he too would disappear.

Wendy emerged from the trees behind her, but gasped at the state of the village. Natsu quickly got up and hurried to pull Wendy away, making her look away from the charred village.

It was a reality of war none of them could stop.

"Torafuzer is defeated for now," Natsu said hoarsely, "But he won't be down for long. Tartaros has a way of repairing the demons that have been defeated."

He looked at Sting, his expression uncharacteristically grim.

"We need to go," He was apologetic, but firm.

Sting nodded in agreement, his arms wrapping around Yukino.

"Come on," he whispered to her, "We can't stay here."

Yukino's shoulders trembled as the force of reality crushed down on her. She was homeless, and the only place she ever knew was gone. The sense of loss was so profound it shook her foundation.

And now, there wasn't any hope of finding her sister again.

There was very little said in the wake of the devastation as they moved away from the immediate vicinity. Wendy silently healed Sting enough he could transform fully and fly while Lucy kept her arms around Yukino's shoulders.

Sting took no pleasure in the fact this would be Yukino's first time seeing him change up close as he shifted and laid his foreclaws out for them to climb into. He was taking no chances this time. The cargo he'd been carrying might still be salvageable, maybe, but it wasn't worth risking a second confrontation over. The nest had a surplus of supplies they could send. Another shipment could be made.

In the meantime he fully intended to move as fast as he could for Magnolia.

No doubt Tartaros already knew that was their destination, but at least once they were there they would have backup. Something they'd need urgently if they got into a fight with more than one Gate and his minions at a time.

He just prayed that there was some kind of information in Magnolia for Yukino about her sister. Some small ray of light to make all this pain and loss a little more bearable.

He kept that in mind as he took to the air and flew towards the human city as fast as he could move.

There was a chance. However small it was, it was still a chance.

He'd learned the hard way that even the smallest chances were a reason to hope, and to give Yukino her smile back he would chase down every chance he could find.

-::-

The trip back to Magnolia was silent and tense. Their new companion had been quietly crying on and off the rest of the way. Since there really was no way of consoling her, nothing could be said.

But they arrived at Magnolia, and for the first time in hours Lucy saw a shred of light. Standing outside her home town, she had never felt more grateful to see it in one piece.

She felt new sympathy for Yukino.

Erza greeted them at the walled off entrance, her scarlet hair bright and fiery. It was the first thing they saw when they landed.

"Erza!" Lucy called out, her hand waving over her head to signal to the other woman. Erza lifted her hand in greeting, a faint smile on her face.

"I'm glad you made it safely," Erza's eye lingered over Yukino but she thankfully chose to say nothing, "Come. You can tell me everything that happened when we are safe in the city."

Lucy nodded, and they quickly followed the redhead inside.

Once they were safely back at the guildhall Mirajane quickly produced drinks for all of them, which earned her a grateful smile from Lucy as they sat down.

"Alright." Erza said once they were settled, and crossed her arms, "What happened out there after you left the nest?"

Lucy winced a little and sighed, "It started when Tartaros shot Sting out of the sky..."

She quickly filled them in on everything that had happened, the others interjecting only as needed, feeling a little as though she was giving a mission report after a particularly trying mission, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up with Natsu in front of the lacrimatron, and try to forget the horrifying events of a few hours ago.

She felt a little guilty about that when Yukino started crying again, but not enough to actually change the desire.

"I see." Erza murmured once the report was finished, and reached over to squeeze Lucy's shoulder, an approving look on her face, "I can find no fault in any of your actions." She told her with gentle firmness, "Despite the tragedy you all performed admirably. I doubt any of us could have done any better."

She looked at Yukino, "Miss Yukino, I know this is an extremely difficult time for you, but you're welcome to remain with us if you like. And if not, we'll help you get back on your feet so you can begin a new life."

"Thank you." Yukino whispered despondently, "But it doesn't matter. I stayed so my sister would know where to find me when she returned. Now that the village is gone..." She shook her head and fresh tears trickled down cheeks that had long since become raw.

Erza blinked at the girl's whispered confession but moved aside when Mirajane shifted their drinks to the side and sat down next to Yukino.

"You're looking for your sister?" She asked, setting a gentle hand over Yukino's.

The teary girl nodded back, her red rimmed eyes looking at Mirajane in silent confusion.

"I know something about losing a sibling," Mirajane's voice was heavy with sympathy. She set an arm around Yukino's shoulders and cradled the back of her head.

"Don't lose faith you'll find her," Mirajane's smile was unwavering and kind.

"Just tell us her name and we will do everything in our power to find her for you."

Yukino's shoulders trembled with emotion, but she gave Mirajane a sad smile. It was clear her hopes weren't up, but she was appreciating the effort nonetheless.

"Sorano, her name is Sorano," Yukino croaked.

Jellal inhaled sharply at that, drawing everyone's eyes to him, but he didn't seem to notice as he stared at Yukino in shock.

"I had no idea..." He breathed, caught somewhere between horrified and stunned.

"Jellal?" Erza prompted, causing him to blink a little and look at her, "What do you know?"

Jellal shook his head and gave Yukino a soft smile, "Apologies. I was just surprised. I know your sister."

"What!" Erza exclaimed at the same time Yukino surged to her feet, desperate hope warring with despair on her face.

"How do you know my sister?!" She half exclaimed and half demanded, "What happened to her? Is Sorano alright? Why hasn't she come home yet?"

Her words grew louder with every word until Jellal held up his hand to silence her.

"I only know some of this story." He replied, "The rest you will have to get from her alright?"

Yukino nodded tensely and Jellal curled his hand into Erza's, "Sorano, Angel as we call her, was among the children of the work group that included Erza and myself all those years ago." He glanced at Erza, "The full story of how that ended is a long one, but in the end we all found our freedom."

He returned his smile to Yukino, "These days your sister, along with a few others, are part of an independent guild known as Crime Sorciere. They're close friends and allies of Fairy Tail, and their goal is to eliminate the darkness Zeref had brought into the world."

Yukino stared at Jellal in shock, hardly able to believe that at long last here was real, solid, news on her sister. It had been so long.

"Will... can you...?"

Jellal nodded, "I would be pleased to, but I can't promise when Sorano will be able to come by as she's on a mission now. And I can guarantee she's changed from the sister you knew. Zeref's darkness has a way of changing everyone it touches."

Jellal found himself being tackled with far more enthusiasm than he had expected from a weeping girl, and he just managed to catch her before they both toppled over.

"I don't care what happened, I've been dying to see her for years," Yukino pulled away from Jellal, her eyes watering, but the first signs of a smile flashing over her face. In the wake of the tragedy she had just experienced, it was a sight to behold.

"Thank you," She said empathically, "I don't know what to say or do to thank you enough."

"That's just the sort of thing Fairy Tail does," Natsu grinned at Yukino, but nudged his brother with his elbow.

Sting blinked at Natsu, but turned his attention towards Yukino when the human came at him. Her arms wrapped around his middle with surprising strength. His hands settled instinctively down against her back.

"I should have just come with you when you offered," Yukino whispered in his chest, "It was the right decision."

Sting stared at Yukino's snowy head, but slowly relaxed his body, a smile curling over his lips.

Anything that made her happy seemed to be the right choice in his book.

Lucy found herself grinning as well as Erza shot Jellal a warm look, "Well then, that's one bit of very excellent news." The redhead said, sounding extremely pleased, "Mira, can you arrange for a room for Yukino?"

"Of course!" Mirajane replied happily, "I'll make sure she gets settled in while we wait."

Erza nodded, "Very good. In the meantime, I'll contact Igneel and alert him that you've all arrived in one piece." She shot Wendy a look that had the little dragoness squeaking a little, "I believe your parents will want to speak with you afterwards. However, if you can convince them to let you stay we'd be more than happy to have you here to help Porlyusica with healing."

"Well it was nice knowing you Wendy!" Natsu cackled teasingly, "I bet I'll be able to hear mom's roaring all the way at Lucy's house!"

"Don't forget dad's." Sting smirked, enjoying the growing look of horror on Wendy's face, "We might wind up deaf afterwards."

Lucy sighed and shook her head before grabbing hold of Natsu's scarf, "C'mon. Let's go home before you terrify her too much."

She was grateful though for the sudden bout of sibling teasing. It had effectively broken the remaining gloom from the meeting.

"You're to take a couple of days off at minimum!" Erza called at Lucy's back, as she tugged a slightly flailing Natsu towards the door.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to our reviewers! You guys were amazing last chapter. Though I think maybe we stabbed you guys in the feels a little too much since not as many of you left reviews lol! Still, you guys made the mark for your sneak peek, so enjoy that, and keep rocking on! We love you! :D_**

* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _Lucy shifted to look at him intently, "Natsu... you know a comment like that could be considered a marriage proposal?"_

 _Natsu stared at her for a moment before grinning broadly in relief that it was surprise and not upset, "Let's get married then!" He replied cheerfully, "As long as it means I can stay by your side I don't care what it's called."_

 _Lucy stared at him in shock and reached out to caress his cheek, "You mean that?" She asked softly, "Even if you had the freedom to walk away right now and experience the world on your terms?"_

 _Natsu leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, "It's always more fun with two." He purred, "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather see the world with than you my queen."_


	43. Succubus

_Hey guys! Sorry this one is a bit late today. I had some editing to do to make this flow since I changed where the chapters were, and it took longer than I thought lol. That said, I truly hope you guys enjoy the long chapter. Please note though... **THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW! PLEASE NOTE THE PURITY MARKS (####) AND AVERT THINE DELICATE EYES IF SUCH THINGS BUG YOU!**_

 _Love you guys! Enjoy! :)_

 _~~Kytrin_

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY 3 DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 43**

 **Succubus**

 _A succubus is a demon in female form or supernatural entity in folklore (traced back to medieval legend) that appears in dreams and takes the form of a woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual activity._

* * *

They managed to arrive back at Lucy's place without interference. Surprisingly enough the place didn't smell of dust, so Lucy thought perhaps Levy had gleaned the location of her home out of Mira and cleaned up or something. After all they had been gone for months

As soon as they were through the door, Natsu strode on ahead, dropping their bag by their bed and flopping face down first in the covers.

"This feels amazing," Natsu moaned. He rolled over, fighting with his vest to get it off. Lucy smothered a laugh as his elbow got stuck and she walked over to help detangle him.

She rolled him over to his front, even as his arm was bent in his clothes much like a chicken wing was. She couldn't help but giggle over his complaining whines. It was utterly dorky and endearing in the way only Natsu could be, and it helped bleed off some of the stress of the last few days.

She finally wrestled his vest off, exposing his muscular back. Her eyes travelled appreciatively over the finely inked paths and tattoos crossing over his tawny skin as Natsu relaxed into the mattress, seemingly unaware of her eyes. Though she seriously doubted that was really the case.

Unable to stop her curiosity, Lucy raised a single finger and began to trace the intricate tattoos with the digit.

A smile drifted across Natsu's lips as Lucy's fingers drifted from one side of his body to the other. It tickled a little, and Natsu smothered a small giggle. He would never live it down if he let Lucy know he was ticklish.

But Lucy's hands were hesitating by his neck, resting over his shoulders.

"You're holding a lot of tension up here," Lucy observed, "Are you ok?"

Natsu sighed softly into the pillow. He didn't exactly want to talk about it, but she was also the only one he could afford to let his guard down completely around. Not even his family got that.

"It's leftover." He mumbled into his pillow and shifted so she could hear him properly, "Leftover from the village." He unconsciously tensed again as he went back to that moment, and closed his eyes, "I used to do that." He whispered, "I used to pile the bodies of the people I helped kill. I used to watch as the others danced and sang and..."

He shuddered at the memories, not wanting to think about them anymore.

"Oh Natsu..." Lucy breathed, and he jumped slightly when he felt her stretch out along his back and wrap her arms around his shoulders before burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"You had a flashback didn't you?" She asked softly, her gentle lips caressing over his skin, and he nodded shakily.

He didn't know how to describe the sense of being back in that moment. Of feeling that helplessness that he could only watch until she'd charged in and pure fear and rage had snapped him out of it. Fear for her and rage that he'd been forced to witness it again.

However, it didn't seem like he needed to.

Lucy nodded against him and sat up, settling herself on his hips. Before he could do so much as start to look over his shoulder to find out what she was doing she pressed her delicate hands against his shoulders and began rubbing.

She smiled at his curious look, though it had a tint of sadness to it, "I understand what flashbacks are." She told him softly, "I've had more than one over the years." She caressed a hand over his face, "I can't take it away from you, but at least I can help you work out the tension, and remind you that you're _here_ and not _there_ anymore."

Natsu nodded at her, his mouth opening but closing just as quickly. Relaxing under Lucy's caresses was hardly difficult. There was no unspoken command in her voice, no way to make him stay if he didn't want it.

Lucy used to be more careless with her words and accidental commands. While he had never minded, the fact that she had always tried and never wanted to restrict his movements made his trust in her absolute. But the care she took now made him smile all the same.

He was there because it was precisely where he wanted to be. And they both knew it.

He began to relax as Lucy's fingers dug into his muscles, drawing a pained hiss at some of the stiffer areas until he felt his spine turn to jelly. He let out a soft grunt, huffing a breath into the pillow.

" 's nice." He mumbled.

"Are you drooling on the pillow?" Lucy asked, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Maybe." He grinned.

She laughed a little, which did more to soothe his aching heart than her massage had, and he suddenly had the overwhelming urge to see her again. Properly. And hold her.

He shifted a little, indicating he wanted to roll over, and couldn't help purring softly in delight when all she did was rise off his hips only to settle back down as soon as he'd stopped moving. There was a light blush on her cheeks as she did, but it was followed immediately by a smile as she leaned over and kissed him softly.

He purred softly into the kiss, and curled his arms around her as he kissed her back.

####

There was a spark of heat in her kiss, but for a change he felt no rush to fan it into a flame. Instead he curled her closer and slowed down as he lazily ran his tongue over her lips and slipped it inside to caress hers.

"Lucy..." He growled softly against her lips, and gently ran his hand up her side to massage one of her breasts softly.

He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly wanted to touch and feel all of her. To finish the cleansing her massage had started until neither of them suffered from bad memories.

He felt a simmer in his belly, a slow burn that filled his chest and made him feel full. Lucy's teeth closed gently around his lower lip, causing a rush of air to escape his lungs.

Her hands travelled down his chest, her fingers falling over his stomach and trailing through to his waist. Her thumb rubbed against the scar on his side, the newest addition to it still shiny tissue.

Natsu let out a soft growl when her fingers probed the sensitive tissue, but when she looked up, his eyes were bleeding into shades of muted red.

Lucy smiled at him, shifting her hips over his so she could better reach him. She leaned forward, hands scooping around his neck to kiss him again, lips savoring the taste of smoke and fire between them.

"I love you Natsu," She whispered against his mouth. His response was muffled by the kiss, and his accented growl, but she knew he tried to respond.

She too wanted to feel him. She wanted desperately to take care of him and chase all of his memories away.

So when he reached for her waist, no doubt to flip them over and for him to shower affection on her, she stilled his reach by setting her hands on his wrists.

He looked up at her in a bit of hazy confusion and she almost laughed. She leaned forward on her knees.

"Will you let me?" She asked, making sure to phrase it in such a way he couldn't confuse it for a command.

Natsu blinked as he processed the request, and smiled at her, "As long as it pleases you."

Lucy smiled back as she lifted his wrist and gently planted kisses against his palm. She knew he was hardwired to please her, so she wasn't surprised by his choice of words, but it made her happy he was willing to let her take care of him for a while too.

She giggled a little when he waggled his fingers at her and let go of his hand. A hand that immediately settled at her waist, but made no other moves than that. Good.

She grinned at him and leaned back over him to begin trailing small kisses and licks over the tattoos on his neck and shoulder before venturing further down to explore every inch of his chest with her tongue.

Natsu growled softly at her exploration, a little surprised by how _good_ it felt, and wriggled his hips a little as his blood began rushing south in response to the sensual fire she was feeding.

However, he made no other move than that.

He liked what she was doing, and was curious to see what else she would do as she traveled down his body. Though he couldn't entirely stop the pleading whine that escaped him when she reached his hips.

She flashed him a saucy grin as she slowly undid the buckle on his belt and pulled his pants open and off.

"Eager are we?" She murmured in amusement and wrapped her hand around him, pulling a cross between a groan and a whine from him.

"Lucy..." He growled hotly as she stroked him lazily before leaning down to plant a kiss on the tip. He curled his fingers in her hair, unable to resist, and his hips jerked a little on their own as she ran her tongue against him.

The motion had Lucy smiling at him as she pulled away, eliciting another whine from him, "I have something different in mind." She murmured as she began stripping her clothes off before his hungry eyes.

She watched his eyes widen as he began to register what it was she was going to do. His hips flexed invitingly, the muscles in his stomach rippling in response to what he was seeing.

Someone really _was_ eager. Lucy felt a bubble of pride rush through her for causing such a response in him.

His cheeks were flushed across his tanned skin and rosy locks of hair were falling over his eyes. They matched the color that was quickly beginning to crawl along his neck and coat the tips of his cute ears.

She took a bit of time to crawl over him, letting his eyes fall over her with an intensity that had her breath stuttering. The warmth that rushed through her when he watched her made her feel like she was the center of his world. There was certainly no denying the desire he felt. It was plain on his face, very much the demon he was. But more importantly, the adoration he felt for her was overwhelming.

She had no doubt he loved her. With everything in him, he loved her deeply.

It made her so happy as she bent down over him, her long hair pooling over onto his chest. Natsu's hand lifted to caress her crown, his touch gentle and reverent.

"My Natsu." She breathed, her own feelings reflecting back at him as she reached down to steady him, and sank slowly down onto him with a pleasured moan.

She watched as his eyes widened at the new sensation and fully bled red gold, but paid it little mind as she settled her hips firmly onto his. The feel of him inside her was indescribable. He was, naturally, hotter than she was used to, and larger. Large enough it felt like he was already caressing every inch of her, and she hadn't even started moving yet.

She was startled out of her appreciation, however, as Natsu sat up a little and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. Had she teased him a little too much?

She was certain she had until he started frantically re-arranging the pillows and scooted back against them, his arms keeping her secure, so he was propped up. Evidently he wanted to let her keep playing, but also wanted more contact with her, and her heart melted at the sweetness of it.

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him as she rolled her hips and began to move gently against him, "My demon." She panted softly, "I love you."

Natsu wasn't sure he could remember how to speak well enough to return the words, so he nuzzled her softly, a soft whine escaping him as he eagerly trailed his hands over every inch of his magnificent mistress and queen.

Words weren't adequate for the mind numbing pleasure of her sweet heat wrapped so tightly around him anyway.

So he reverted to what he knew instinctively. He growled quietly, sweat trickling down his neck at the feel of the slow building heat between them. He kissed and nibbled at her neck, his hands trailing everywhere he could reach, and a shudder of heat rocked through him, pooling in his belly near where they were connected.

They rocked together, the heat slowly building up between them. Lucy's hips rolled together, forcibly keeping a slow pace that was agonizing.

Their gasps for breath filled the heated air between them. It took every ounce of strength Natsu had not to buck up into that maddening heat. Lucy felt like heaven, coaxing the demon in him to the light.

But he cherished the burn. Cherished every slow, thrumming ache that consumed them.

They were alive. They had found freedom and comfort in one another, and Natsu was willing to ride that feeling for as long as possible.

Eventually, however, the heat between them built into an inferno that neither could control anymore.

Lucy's movements became sharper, faster, and more erratic as she neared her peak, and Natsu couldn't contain his heated growls as he felt her ultimate pleasure getting close.

He tightened his grip on her hips as she moved, his own hips rising to meet hers of their own volition. He bent his head to suck one of her nipples into his mouth while one of his hands trailed down between them to rub at her clit, eager to see and feel the ultimate form of her pleasure again now that it was moments away.

He grinned a little at Lucy's heated gasp of surprise, and the way she leaned into his teasing.

"Natsu..." She moaned thickly, and he raised burning eyes to meet hers as that tightly coiled band inside her snapped. He growled hotly as he felt her pleasure pour over the bond while she gripped him tightly, and suddenly the heat within him exploded into an answering eruption that had him roaring his pleasure around her breast.

####

His eyes fluttered as they came down together, tight pleasure coursing through his body like a song he never wanted to forget the words to. He breathed out roughly, slowly calming down as sense began to trickle back into his mind.

He smiled sweetly up at his beloved mistress and reached up to kiss her. He enjoyed the feeling of them connected together a little while longer before he hooked his arms under her thighs to help her lift off his softening member.

"Lucy that was-..." He licked his lips, suddenly feeling very sleepy as he gathered her close to his chest.

He flopped sideways back on top of their covers and taking her with him. It had been incredible to say the least, and he very badly wanted to do it again with her.

Every day for the rest of their lives if it was even possible.

He already knew there was no one else for him in this world. There couldn't be. It was just impossible for there to be another Lucy.

"I want to be by your side for as long as you will have me," Natsu mumbled into her ear.

Lucy stilled at that, her boneless body suddenly going very stiff against his. He blinked sleepily, frowning a little when he looked at her.

Had he said something wrong?

Lucy shifted to look at him intently, "Natsu... you know a comment like that could be considered a marriage proposal?"

Natsu stared at her for a moment before grinning broadly in relief that it was surprise and not upset, "Let's get married then!" He replied cheerfully, "As long as it means I can stay by your side I don't care what it's called."

Lucy stared at him in shock and reached out to caress his cheek, "You mean that?" She asked softly, "Even if you had the freedom to walk away right now and experience the world on your terms?"

Natsu leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, "It's always more fun with two." He purred, "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather see the world with than you my queen."

Lucy's heart melted and then overflowed with happiness as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, "Then we'll make the world safe enough to travel for fun, and see it all together." She whispered back thickly, "And I'll stay by your side for as long as you'll stay by mine."

Natsu's face lit up, his fingers combing through Lucy's hair. He laughed giddily and leaned over to kiss her, unspeakably happy she had agreed.

"So you'll marry me?" He asked with excitement, joy glowing on his face.

Lucy bobbed her head in agreement and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, laughing in disbelief over his proposal.

"When this is all over, we'll get married and see everything together," Natsu's heart felt achingly full. Their whispered promises fueling his desire to live and see the end of this all.

Igneel had been right.

Before Lucy, there hadn't been a single good thing in his life.

But she had showed him so many marvelous things with her strength alone. She soothed all of his aches and pains. Even the ones he didn't know he had.

She was a balm to his soul, she had given him a fresh start after he had cheated death.

Natsu didn't need to go on adventures or see the world. Lucy was his world.

-::-

The next morning, and the next few days after that, were filled with more laughter and lovemaking than Lucy had ever imagined was possible.

Natsu fully let his demonic side out to play after their first time together, and she learned very quickly that her demon had no reserves about molesting her at any time and in nearly any place. The only time he backed off was when she was too sore to take him, and even then he tended to growl lustfully at her until she _was_ ready to play again.

Happy had learned the hard way that he was _not_ to come barging into their lair without sufficient warning first. The one time the little cat had tried he'd nearly gotten quite an eyeful of Lucy bent over the kitchen counter. Only the fact that Natsu had been in his demon form, and had quickly cupped his wings around her, had saved her modesty even a little.

Luckily for Happy, Lucy had been too far gone at the time to even care.

After a few days though, restlessness started to creep in as well, and they had decided that despite how nice it was having time to themselves, it was past time to head back to the guild and find out what the latest was.

"Damn Salamander." Gajeel grunted as they walked in, "Could ya possibly make things more obvious?"

Natsu just smirked as he pulled Lucy closer and nuzzled her neck. She was saturated in his scent, and he was proud of how thoroughly marked she was that it clung to her despite the bath she'd taken.

"Obvious?" Lucy asked and glanced at Natsu in mild confusion.

"Don't be a prude metal mouth," Natsu just grinned in unrepentant amusement and stretched his arms out over his head, "So what did we miss?"

Sting came up behind Natsu and clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder. His eyes gleamed happily and and smile was almost as broad as Natsu's.

"Wendy got reamed by mom and dad." Sting laughed, "It's a shame you missed it. They were trying to keep it down, but you could hear them all the way out in the street."

"Sting!" Wendy huffed, shooting her horrible, annoying, brother a glare, "It wasn't that bad!"

"No?" Sting drawled with a smirk, "Then how come you were half deaf for an hour afterwards? And Erza had to assure passerby that no one was being tortured?"

Natsu doubled over cackling as Wendy's cheeks turned red and puffed out.

Lucy rolled her eyes a little at their antics, but couldn't resist a small smirk of her own. Because really, Wendy should've realized that would happen when she stowed away.

"So what's going to happen now?" She asked curiously, "Will Wendy be staying?"

"For the moment yeah." Sting replied, "I pointed out that if Tartaros was willing to shoot me out of the sky then it was debatable which nest she would be safer at. Better for her to stay where we can keep an eye on her than to risk another confrontation just to fly her back." He shrugged lazily, "She's under strict orders not to fight unless she has no choice, and Porlyusica has agreed to teach her human healing."

Lucy smiled a little at the way he said that without any kind of prejudice. It seemed being around Yukino and other humans had done quite a bit to help adjust his world view. She just hoped his transition was less painful than hers had been.

"But that's not all that's going on." Sting continued obliviously, "You're just in time."

He pointed towards the edge of the bar where Yukino was sitting. Just beyond her, the door was opening to reveal Jellal.

And behind him...

Yukino gasped as she stood up, her stool clattering over in shock.

"Sorano!" Yukino cried out and nearly barreled over Sting in order to wrap her arms around her surprised sister.

"Yukino!" Sorano gasped, her arms dropping numbly around the sobbing girl. Her eyes sought out Jellal, who smiled and nodded in response.

"Yukino!" Sorano repeated, tears stinging her eyes as she gathered the younger woman close to her.

"How is this possible?" Sorano whispered as they pulled apart, and stared at her little sister in wonder, "I thought you were dead. I searched every single group of children those bastards kidnapped, but I couldn't find you."

Yukino sniffled a little, "They never took me." She replied, "After they found the place you put me I crawled under the house. They tried to corner me there, but they couldn't fit where I was. They were going to burn it to get me out, but their leader said to leave it."

Sorano stared at her sister in surprise and burst into laughter, "That's my clever little sister!" She grinned proudly at Yukino, and hugged her again, before sitting them both down at a table, "So what happened to you after that? What have you been doing all this time?"

"I waited for you." Yukino admitted softly, "I didn't know where to look for you, so I waited for you to escape and come home."

"Oh Yuki..." Sorano breathed, fresh tears stinging her eyes, "I didn't know. I swear. I never would've let you stay in that horrible village all alone."

Jellal cleared his throat as he moved to the bar. Makarov was sitting on the countertop, looking happy by the exchange.

"Come now children, let's give the sisters some privacy, Erza needs to speak with you all about the next stage in the plan," Makarov chuckled, "Now quit your gawking."

Natsu snorted as he eyed his brother making what equated to doe-eyes at Yukino. Sting definitely had a thing for the human.

He hooked an arm around Sting and all but dragged his brother down into the wine cellar. There, they had a small congregation of a small number of members.

In the middle stood Erza, Gray, and Rogue.

"Good. Now that you all have stopped eavesdropping on what should be a private conversation, we can get started," Erza's smile was chilling.

Jellal was the only one of their group who didn't have a chill run up their spine at Erza's terrifying smile. He simply chuckled as he walked over to join her, "Don't be too hard on them. They were just eager to see Yukino happy."

Erza snorted, but her expression relaxed into a warmer smile, "Regardless, it's past time we got started here." She motioned for the others to hurry up and join them already, "Gray and Rogue have completed their work in the council building."

"Most of it at any rate." Gray replied, "We haven't been able to dig up _all_ the secrets yet."

"However, we believe we have more than enough to deal the council a crippling blow." Rogue continued, "They are, without a doubt, the most corrupt drakes I've ever heard of. It's fortunate we're dealing with this now before it has a chance to get any worse."

"How bad was it?" Lucy asked softly, and Gray grimaced.

"Bad." He told her, "Really bad. Secret labs, unethical experiments, mutations, demonic cross breeding, torture, espionage... the works. And that's just what we've discovered so far. I'd bet my next mission pay that's only the tip of it."

"It's enough to work with however." Jellal spoke up grimly, "If even a fraction of these accusations stick it will see the council _and_ the Knights disbanded."

"Which means we'll have to have our top candidates ready before that happens." Erza said firmly, "And we'll have to be very careful how we play this. If we release all the evidence to the public at once we run both the risk of riots and their own PR claiming the evidence is false. Neither of which will help us any."

Lucy frowned as she thought, "The council members are supposed to be elected every three years. Typically, they're chosen from among the Wizard Saints as those wizards are viewed as the strongest and thus the most capable of protecting the people from demonic attack. Every so often you get a new candidate in the running, but it's rare they get any real backing. With this Jellal might get the backing, but it won't be enough. We'll need more than just him to win the majority on the council."

Erza nodded, "That's why we're asking for the strongest leaders among the good aligned guilds to help us. Lamia Scale has already nominated Jura. We expect more in the coming weeks."

Jellal looked at Lucy with a faint smile flashing over his face, "I know it's a lot to ask for, but we're going to need your help getting the upper levels on our side. They will be justifiably angry over what we reveal, however the council being kicked out won't stop them from sliding in a substitute that will feed their agenda and ultimately make us fail."

"It's a rough plan to get the majority, and we can't play dirty to do it either," Levy spoke up, "We'll have to be careful if Lucy speaks up for you Jellal."

"Why's that?" Erza asked, frowning over the idea.

Levy hesitated, but Gajeel held no qualms about it. He pointed a thick finger at Natsu, who pointed at himself in confusion.

"What do I have to do with all this?" Natsu complained.

Levy cleared her throat awkwardly, "Well there was the small detail of END murdering the entire royal family and allowing demons to attack our borders."

Natsu's face fell, but he still looked confused, "Okay, but what does that have to do with Lucy?"

"It means we're already playing behind the ball since you and Lucy are a package deal. Anything you do, or have done will reflect on her." Gray translated with a touch of impatience.

"So what do we do? We need Lucy to support Jellal, but the issue of Natsu's past can be a real problem now." Erza questioned.

Lucy groaned in irritation, as the answer came to her in an instant, "If I endorse you, the only way to keep this above board _and_ keep our political enemies from discrediting us..." She sighed, "Would be to reveal all of Natsu's history. Completely. Full disclosure on everything that happened to him and what Zeref forced him to do."

She looked at Natsu, "And that is something I _will not_ do against your wishes." She concluded firmly, "The campaign might be a lot harder without my endorsement, but I won't drag you through that without your permission." She curled her hand tightly in his, "I love you far too much to do that."

"Even if he said yes that's not something we could allow!" Sting growled, "He's already been through enough!"

"It's his decision." Lucy insisted, and met Natsu's worried gaze, "I'm not going to lie to you Natsu. If you do this you'll be exposing yourself in a way you won't ever be able to take back. Everyone will know your story. And there will be some who try to take advantage of it."

Natsu hesitated uncertainly. He didn't want to tell everyone his history. It was a terrible story that he would just as soon forget ever happened. But if it could help...

Gajeel cleared his throat delicately, "I'll point out that if we play it right, we might give the dragons and humans a rallyin' cry." He eyed his nestmate, "I know you ain't big on sharin'. There's not a dragon born that is. But you could show 'em that no one's safe unless they all work together. And if you come out firmly on the side against demons now that you've got your head screwed on straight you'd be a powerful symbol of rebellion."

He smirked toothily, "'Cause if END can rebel against Zeref and his demons... why the hell can't the rest of us?"

Natsu looked at Lucy, his hand squeezing around hers and swallowed, feeling unspeakably sick. It was like he was riding in a boat again.

"I'll do it." He struggled, gritting his teeth and feeling like he was trying to swallow an entire pineapple whole until he looked at the hope on his nestmate's faces, and the sick feeling eased.

"I'll do it." He repeated, this time with more confidence, "If Lucy won't be hurt by it, I'll let them know my past. Within reason."

He bared his fangs, "Some of what's in my head is too dangerous for people to know. I'm not going to make that information public for Tartaros."

"They do have eyes within the city." Jellal agreed, "Your caution is perfectly reasonable. We wouldn't want to tell everyone everything anyway. Just enough to spin your story the right way without actually lying." He looked at both Lucy and Natsu, "You two are about to have a lot of attention on you. I hope you are ready."

"Not as much attention as you'll have Jellal," Lucy smirked at him, "Luckily we have you to take some of the heat off us."

She looked at Natsu with a smile, "Thank you Natsu. I know that had to have been hard."

Natsu smiled at her, seeing the unconditional support in her eyes. No matter what she would stick by him, and it made him feel better about his choice. He trusted the others not to abuse his trust in sharing his past. And he trusted Lucy to have his back no matter what he chose to do.

That was more than enough.

"Is there something else going on here we should know about?" Gray asked, looking back and forth between Lucy and Natsu.

Lucy coughed a little and blushed, "Yes, but if it winds up in the campaign there will be unpleasant Aquarius style consequences." She waited for Gray to shudder at that thought and smiled, "Natsu asked me to marry him not long after we got back."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Levy squealed in excitement, "Oh my gods! You're getting married! When? You said yes right? Where's your ring?"

Lucy laughed a little and her blush deepened, "Not till after the war is over so we can go traveling together for a while. Of course I said yes. And we haven't gotten one yet. Natsu kind of asked me in his own way."

"I need a ring?" Natsu asked, mystified. He didn't seem to see the point and he frowned, "Can't we just get married?"

"No you idiot, you've got to actually get down on one knee and give her a ring." Gray snorted, "Wow you're as useless as you are ugly."

This got Natsu onto his feet in an instant and he got into Gray's face with a snarl, "What did you say to me?" He demanded, "I'll get Lucy the biggest ring ever! It'll kick the ass of anything you could get!"

"That's not going to happen you pyro!" Gray shoved his way back into Natsu's face, "You didn't even know you needed one until now!"

Natsu and Gray squeaked when suddenly their heads came crashing together. They yelped in pain as Erza stood between them.

"We must endeavor to make this day as special as possible for Lucy!" Despite the terror she invoked in Natsu and Gray, she looked extremely flustered.

"But uh, shouldn't we stay on point first and plan the wedding later?" Lucy sheepishly spoke up.

Every head turned at once to give Lucy an extremely offended look.

Lucy stared at them awkwardly for a moment, "Uh, I could be totally wrong about that!" She exclaimed nervously, "I mean, it's not like we can't plan the fate of the world tomorrow right?"

"Exactly Lucy!" Erza replied stridently, "I'm glad you see how very important this is!" She marched towards the exit, "I will tell Mira to prepare the finest cakes and desserts! We will not rest until your engagement is properly celebrated!"

"Yeah, this should be good." Gray smirked, getting into the spirit of things, "I'll get Juvia over here to help set everything up."

"You know that's not quite what I meant..." Lucy whimpered.

"Relax Lucy." Gray shrugged, "We've got most of this stuff already in motion, and plenty of time before the election. Besides, it's important we celebrate things like this. A day off won't kill us."

He grinned at her, "So c'mon! Let's have some fun!"

"Yeah!" Levy exclaimed enthusiastically while a toothily grinning Gajeel got to his feet, "Your queen don't know how dragons an' Fairy Tail celebrate engagements and weddings runt. We gotta fix that."

Lucy stared at Natsu's brightly grinning face and felt a laugh bubble up inside her. Maybe it was a little ridiculous, but it was nice knowing her friends were that determined to celebrate this for them.

Perhaps they would be allowed a bit of normalcy before their world went upside down again.

Or as normal as it ever got.

* * *

 ** _Special thanks to all of our lovely reviewers! We love you guys to pieces, and I really can't thank you all enough for your reviews. They make me smile every time. Please enjoy your Sneak Peek. You've truly earned it!_**

* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _"Natsu!" Gray called as he ran up only to skid to a halt as he took in the scene._

 _"Back off Gray!" Natsu called tensely without taking his eyes off the demoness, "She'll kill you without a second thought."_

 _"Well!" Kyoka exclaimed, staring at Natsu in surprise, "The failed weapon really does speak! I had thought that to be an exaggeration."_

 _"Not failed." Natsu smirked, "Zeref was just too stupid to figure out how to do it right."_


	44. Kraken

_Hey guys! Chapter 44 finally! For those who didn't see my note on tumblr, apologies for any confusion. I spent most of the weekend last weekend hauling furniture and was too tired to deal with the chapter on the last posting day. I don't anticipate that being a problem for the remaining chapters though. :)_

 _ **As usual... THIS FIC UPDATES EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 44**

 **Kraken**

 _The Krakens are aquatic monsters that originated from Norse mythology and have been said to dwell off the shores of Norway and Greenland. They are often depicted as gigantic octopuses (or sometimes squids) that attack sailing ships. It is said that the Kraken would surface at Ragnarök._

* * *

It took a while, but the evidence Fairy Tail had gathered as a result of their snooping had eventually built up enough controversy to have the council members impeached.

That turned out to be the easiest part of their job, as it left the guilds scrambling to try and maneuver themselves into prime positions to get on the board. To say their campaign was rocky was an understatement. Jellal had his work cut out for him to convince the people of Magnolia he was a genuine choice for council.

Lucy of course, as a well recognized Knight and a respected member of the upper class, was able to give Jellal a show of glowing support, but that only went so far. Jellal's own charisma was put to the test as he worked with the other guild candidates to charm the people. Fortunately, he had charm to spare no matter how much he disliked using it.

The spin for Natsu was, of course, slightly trickier. The great demon END had stood up on a campaign stage and taken the jeers and screams without blinking. Naturally there had been disbelievers of what he was, but Natsu had quickly proved he wasn't lying. There was nothing quite like seeing a genuine demon standing on stage.

Convincing them that he was truly on their side now was much more complicated. The memory sharing technique the dragons used was unique to dragons, and the potion they'd created for him to view his memories only worked for him. Not anyone else.

In the end it was Levy and Fried working with Sting that worked out a solution. Natsu had no idea how their weird script magic creation worked, and suspected he'd get a headache in the first ten seconds if he asked, but it worked.

The projections it showed of select portions of Natsu's memories had the crowds alternating between horror, rage, and tears. It was not something Natsu cared to repeat again. Ever. However, there was no denying that it had been effective. Both for convincing the people of his sincerity and laying a lot of positive groundwork for the dragon's return. There weren't many who could blame Igneel for his actions given the circumstances.

At least it meant he didn't have to give speeches. He was terrible at that outside the moment.

The result was, as Gajeel predicted, that Natsu became a symbol for fighting back. Of rebellion. Which Natsu found highly ironic considering what he was.

However, it was Lucy, with her gentle hand but firm stance, who was the heart of the resistance. She was always moving. Always working. She encouraged people, and gave them hope in a way that left him breathless with awe whenever he saw it. She wasn't just a light for him anymore. She was a light for everyone.

Privately, Natsu was convinced that it was because of Lucy's light that Jellal won.

Of course, winning was only the beginning. Once Jellal and the other new council men and women were confirmed into office they had proceeded to turn the place completely on its head.

Every single one of the old council's dirty secrets was discovered and dealt with. Sometimes publicly, sometimes not, but always with a ruthlessness that Lucy found mildly terrifying in Jellal no matter how much she approved.

And it didn't end there. Lucy had honestly started to lose track of the overhauls being made from the prison, to the enchanted frogs that ran the place, to the Knights themselves, and beyond.

The Knights had come under her own purview as the new council had unanimously declared that she was precisely what they were looking for in dedicated Rune Knights, and had put her in charge of combing through the ranks to weed out the bad ones. Which there were a depressingly high number of.

It was a gargantuan task, and Lucy couldn't remember the last time she'd had so many sleepless nights in her life. Even with competent help, like Eve, it wasn't unusual for her to be found dozing at her desk if Natsu wasn't around to take care of her.

Of course, even with that help, it eventually got to the point where Jellal ordered Natsu to take her home and not let her come back to work until she was properly rested.

It was an order her demon had only been too happy to obey as he'd hauled her over his shoulder and even now was cackling as he carried her through the streets to their house.

"Natsu do you _have_ to cackle?" She complained as she bounced along, having long since given up trying to wriggle loose, and shot a couple of onlookers a pout when they laughed at her plight.

Natsu's reputation was slowly, but steadily, improving the more he pulled stuff like this. It was hard to be terrified of a demon that pulled pranks on his mistress and gushed over tasty looking food like a five year old.

"I _do_!" Natsu responded cheerfully. Happy came to a rest right on top of her skirted bottom. "How else will they know to steer clear?"

"Maybe if you didn't run down the street like a thief!" Lucy protested around a yawn.

Natsu didn't respond as he kicked open the door to their home and tossed his fiance onto the bed. He crawled in right after her and smirked victoriously.

"You've worn yourself ragged Luce." Natsu leaned back on his heels, his shoulders straight and arms crossed. He looked the very picture of an imp.

"That means I can ignore any order if it doesn't pertain directly to you resting up," Natsu purred at her.

Lucy groaned a bit, but given how absolutely heavenly her bed felt she couldn't really argue with either him or Jellal. She had been running herself ragged lately, and had always known peripherally that she would pay for it eventually.

It didn't help that she felt a twinge of guilt over the fact she and Natsu hadn't had nearly as much time together as before.

"I've been a bad fiancé haven't I?" She asked apologetically and reached out for him, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to get this bad. I just wanted it to be over and done with as soon as possible."

Natsu curled her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, "I'd rather have you take as long as you need to and be in good shape." He told her honestly, enjoying the soft blush that still brought to her cheeks, "That means more to me."

Lucy smiled and pulled him into a soft kiss.

His thumb rolled over the ring decorating her hand. While his words were true, he wanted this to be over too. His bond with Lucy was as glued together as it always was. It twinged occasionally when she was hungry or in danger of going too long without taking care of herself.

He wanted her to himself, to go on that trip around the world just the two of them the way they talked about when he asked her to marry him. Unfortunately, with the way the war was heating up, that day was looking further and further away by the moment.

While they got the human side of things under control, the demons hadn't been dormant. They were advancing slowly but steadily towards Magnolia day by day. Refugees from the outlying villages and towns had become a constant problem. Nor did it end there for him.

Natsu's primary job aside from keeping his mistress safe, was defending the walls of the city. He refused to venture out too far and leave Lucy unguarded, but he was primarily what they were using to keep the city safe.

At least until they finished scrambling to repair the corrupt system within.

The dragons had also begun to suffer retalitory attacks since Sting's attack on Torafuzar. Attacks bad enough that Metallicana had returned to Old Fort to join Igneel in their defense of the nest.

But they were almost done.

He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he believed it with every fibre of his being. Something was going to come to a head soon and this would all end one way or the other.

Not that he told Lucy, or anyone else, that. The last thing he wanted was for them to worry when there was nothing they could do about it.

Instead, Natsu sank down into the covers with Lucy, holding her to his chest and taking in her scent.

Lucy smiled as she felt his tension bleed away and twined herself around him comfortingly. She knew as well as he did that the demons hadn't been idle, and their biggest battle, probably the one that would decide the war, would be upon them soon. Regardless if they were ready for it or not.

It was one of the reasons she'd pushed herself so hard. She'd wanted to ensure that they would be ready as much as possible so that after the battle was over and everything cleaned up... they could finally get married.

Though, at the moment, she was having trouble remembering just why she'd wanted to wait until after the battle.

It was something they both wanted. So why should they delay it anymore? It wasn't like it would hurt Jellal's campaign now.

"Natsu... do you want to get married today?"

Natsu blinked and looked at her in surprise, "What brought that on?"

Not that he minded. He was happy to marry her whenever she wanted. As far as he was concerned their bond couldn't possibly get any closer anyway. He was hers, and he always would be.

Lucy shrugged, "I dunno. I was just wondering why we were waiting until after the battle." She looked up at him, "I mean, I know we've got plans to see the world together, but that doesn't hinge on us getting married right?"

Natsu studied her intently, his bond pinging at him that something was out of place, and slowly realized that her motivation wasn't impatience. It was fear.

She was afraid of the battle marching closer day by day. Afraid they wouldn't survive it. And she wanted there to be no regrets when that day arrived.

Natsu whined a little at the sensation of his mistress' distress and budged in closer to her. His nose dipped into her throat, a rumble vibrating deep in his chest.

"We can get married this second if you want Lucy." He growled quietly, "But there won't be any rush. We're going to end this war. There is no other option."

He smiled at her, leaning forward to nibble at her lips, sparking a smile from her.

"But if you want to get married now, you're the one that gets to break the news to Erza why she doesn't get to eat cake or wear a pretty dress." He teased.

"How cruel! I thought you were supposed to protect me!" Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she cupped his cheeks and dropped feather light kisses against his forehead and nose.

She told herself Natsu had every reason to be confident. He was one of the most powerful men around. He had the ability to scorch the earth and rain fire down from the sky.

But as powerful as he was, he wasn't invulnerable even if he sometimes seemed that way.

"Humor me?" Lucy asked him, and Natsu huffed out against her throat.

"Whatever brings you happiness," Natsu grunted as he pushed himself up, "Come on. Let's get a witness."

-::-

Witnesses turned out to be the entire guild anyway, mostly because they were sneaky little eavesdroppers.

There had been quite a few exclamations of distress over the unexpected change in plans, but Lucy had hastily assured them that she still wanted the big wedding later. She just didn't want to wait until after the final battle anymore.

There had been looks of understanding at that, and the protests had dropped as the girls hustled Lucy off to change into something more wedding-like while Jellal and Gray took care of the guys. No one wanted to talk about it openly, but they all understood what had prompted Lucy's change of mind, and if it would ease her stress to be married to Natsu now then they would support it.

She was hardly the first one to succumb, and it wasn't likely she would be the last.

In the end it was a lovely little party anyway. The dresses were lovely, and the flower shop had miraculously been able to accommodate them. Jellal officiated the short ceremony and the restaurant they picked afterwards went out of their way to set up an impromptu reception hall.

And through it all Lucy's glowingly happy face made the mad scramble more than worth it.

"I love you." She breathed at Natsu as they danced slowly around the small dance floor, "Thank you."

Natsu grinned back at her, finding this moment more than perfect too. Even if Gajeel and Sting had to cram him in an awkward looking suit, it had been worth it.

Lucy's happiness was paramount, and Natsu was just as thrilled to finally call her his wife.

He had come to understand the customs more, and being able to finally make things official was great. He and Lucy were together in every sense of the word.

He hadn't thought they could be closer, but there was nothing better than getting married to his best friend.

"I love you too Luce." He smiled at her, bending down to capture her lips lingeringly.

Unfortunately, the world deemed they were not allowed to keep being in their merry world forever, and a loud alarm rang out.

Natsu whined in annoyance and grasped his wife sulkily, knowing the alert when he heard it for what it was.

Wall clean up.

"Ugh, can't someone else do it?" Natsu whimpered but sighed and stole another kiss. He knew full well there really wasn't another person who could

"I'll be right back." He promised.

Lucy sighed in exasperation, but gave him a small smile and a soft kiss, "You'd better." She purred into his ear promisingly, "Tonight's our wedding night."

The look on her face made it clear she had plans for him, and he couldn't help grinning wickedly at her, "I look forward to it."

He pulled himself away reluctantly, fervently wishing he could just stay behind, and went to go meet up with Gray. The popsicle had proved to be quite adept at dealing with demons of all levels with his ice demonslaying magic, and as a result they had been partnered together. Much to their mutual disgust and their girlfriend's eternal amusement.

"C'mon." Gray grunted, "Let's get this over with."

Natsu didn't reply as he ducked into the back and hastily changed into his fireproof clothes before falling into step with Gray. But he didn't really need to. They both had places they would rather be.

Instead he shot Lucy one more look over his shoulder, his heart thumping at how achingly beautiful she looked in her dress as she watched them go, and silently vowed to return as quickly as possible.

His wife would not be alone any longer than absolutely necessary tonight.

-::-

When they got to the wall, there were only a scattering of demons and monsters scraping at the edges. Natsu huffed in irritation, mad they had interrupted his wedding for something so trivial. Even the rookie Knights could handle this.

He let out a territorial snarl that at once had the monsters backing away, some with their tails between their legs and others whimpering.

"Ugh, this is just damn sad." Natsu growled as he walked up to one of the wild wolf demons and bent down to a knee. He buried his hand in the thick fur and stroked it down away from its ears.

"This was barely even worth the effort," Gray complained, crossing his arms as he contemplated even using his demonslaying ice.

"Poor bastards," Natsu grunted as he looked at some of the shuffling monsters, "They're hungry. There must not be much left in the nearby wildlands anymore."

"They're not exactly winning much sympathy from me." Gray snorted, "Their masters are Tartaros."

"For now," Natsu growled quietly, smacking the flank of the wolf demon he had been petting to get him to move.

"The demons deserve a chance to prove themselves just as much as I did," Natsu said quietly as he watched the hungry creatures slink off.

"That'll be a hard one to convince people of," Gray rolled up his sleeves, "But why don't you head on back? I can finish up here."

Natsu hesitated, but couldn't help but grin at the thought of being back with Lucy so quickly.

"Sure. Thanks Gray." He turned and jogged off, knowing the other could handle picking up a few strays.

Natsu circled back around the wall, when he spotted something weird laying down against a jutting out boulder.

He felt a chill as a figure came into focus. It was woman, laying prone and bloody on her side. Long locks of black hair fanned out around her head, matted and damp from an injury.

"Oh no," Natsu whispered and sprinted towards her, "Gray!"

He could smell the blood in the wind now, and thought there was something strange about it. But he skidded to a halt next to the woman, placing a hand on her shoulderm

"Hey, are you-"

Natsu felt something lock around his ankle, a biting metal that yanked him backwards and threw him a few feet away from the woman.

Bars sprang up from the dirt, a magical current tearing through his body in a second. Natsu roared in pain, his leg chained down to one of the electrified bars.

He dropped down to the floor of his prison, chest heaving as he glared out through the bars, at the woman laying still.

Just a corpse.

Bait.

Which meant...

"My, my..." A voice he both recognized and hated purred, "It's been quite a while END. It's amazing how well you've grown."

"Kyoka." Natsu snarled, baring his fangs hatefully at her, and tried to keep his heart from racing more than it already was.

This was bad. This was _beyond_ bad.

He knew the demons wanted to wake their precious Zeref up, but they had no idea what they were waking up with him. And even though he knew he could dominate any demon that ever lived he could admit, if only to himself and Lucy, that at best Acnologia would be the toughest fight he'd ever had.

"Natsu!" Gray called as he ran up only to skid to a halt as he took in the scene.

"Back off Gray!" Natsu called tensely without taking his eyes of the demoness, "She'll kill you without a second thought."

"Well!" Kyoka exclaimed, staring at Natsu in surprise, "The failed weapon really does speak! I had thought that to be an exaggeration."

"Not failed." Natsu smirked, "Zeref was just too stupid to figure out how to do it right."

The look of fury that flashed across her face was _entirely_ satisfying. And hopefully it would keep her attention on him instead of on Gray. If he was lucky the snow cone would get the hell away before she chose to attack and warn the others.

"How dare you?" Kyoka growled at Natsu, stepping up to her prey with sure strides. Her clawed hands twitched, "I should make you suffer pain a thousand times over until you go mad. Becoming a mindless vegetable again would be good for you, wouldn't it?" She purred at Natsu.

She tsked when Natsu tried to launch himself at the bars, his fire smothered by the lock around his ankle and his cage.

"Down dog." Kyoka kicked a rock at him. It hardly even tapped against Natsu's chest, but he felt almost like his heart had stopped by the pain roaring through his body.

He collapsed, unable to stop the scream that burst from him as her magic struck true.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted, a frost of cold air freezing the ground. Gray charged Kyoka, a sword carving into his hands.

But he too was brought to his knees as Kyoka's magic flared, and she met him in an attack.

Gray screamed as he was dropped senselessly to the ground with the same pain Natsu was only starting to recover from.

"Now." Kyoka purred, glaring over at Natsu, "That should keep him occupied. It's time for us to go home."

She wrapped her claws around the bars of his cage, "Your real home."

* * *

 ** _Okay! That was a lot that went on this chapter. I have found that chapters that involve compressing time are very difficult to balance not taking too much space without rushing it. Hopefully there was enough detail and such the balance was hit... but enough about that!_**

 ** _Special thanks and love to our many reviewers! We love you guys! Please enjoy your well earned sneak peek and I'll see you guys next posting day! *kisses*_**

* * *

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!_**

 _"Ah, look who is awake." Mard Geer purred as Natsu glared furiously at him, "And with so much more vigor than before. It's hard to believe you are the failed creation of our master."_

 _Natsu couldn't speak, so he settled for baring his fangs at the other demon._

 _"Mmmmmmm... quite a temper you seem to have developed there Natsu." Mard Geer smirked as he stepped up to Natsu's tube and studied his tattoos with interest, "We shall have to work on adjusting that."_

 _Natsu's tail lashed threateningly, but Mard Geer ignored it in favor of studying the markings intently, "Lamy I want pictures of all the markings."_

 _"Yes sir!" Lamy crowed eagerly, and Natsu had to fight back the urge to shudder at the leer she sent him. Her looks were even creepier than his memories let on._


	45. Basilisk

_Hey everyone! It's me, Mslead! I'm back! I hope you all behaved for Kytrin while I was gone! I'm actually glad I managed to make it back to see these last couple of chapters posted onto the site! She's done such an incredible job keeping the schedule up! I can't stress enough how much of a good job she's done. Without her, this story wouldn't have been up at all even with all the chapters pre-written!_

 _Only three more chapters left guys!_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

 **CHAPTER 45**

* * *

 _ **Basilisk**_

 _In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk (/ˈbæsɪlɪsk/ or /ˈbæzɪlɪsk/, from the Greek βασιλίσκος basilískos, "little king;" Latin regulus) is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance._

* * *

Gray panted harshly as he gripped the side of the nearest building tightly, and tried to force his vision to stop swimming so he could keep moving forward. He had to tell Lucy. And Erza.

He groaned as his knees buckled a little and he leaned against the same building he'd been holding onto. Whatever that demoness bitch had done to him had faded after he didn't even know how long, but he was still badly shaking from the after effects of it, and he suspected it was only willpower that had kept him upright since he'd come to.

"Are you alright sir?"

He blinked and looked over to see one of Lucy's new Knights staring at him in genuine worry. He couldn't remember the kid's name off hand, though he vaguely recalled he was a snow manipulator of some kind.

"Not even close." He rasped, "One of the Gates attacked. They've kidnapped Natsu. I need to tell Lucy..."

The knight's eyes widened at the information and in a flash he had one of Gray's arms over his shoulders and his hand curled around Gray's waist, "Where would Commander Heartfilia be now sir?"

Gray grinned somewhat grimly, and gave his directions.

"That's too far away for you to get there in this condition." The knight protested and Gray suddenly found himself being moved into a new set of arms as the knight passed him to his partner, "Take Captain Fullbuster to the hospital." He ordered, "I'll alert Commander Heartfilia."

Gray wasn't even given a chance to protest that he wasn't a Captain anymore before the knight ran off.

Meanwhile, Lucy was beginning to get worried. The party had dimmed about an hour after Natsu and Gray had left when it became clear they were taking too long.

Natsu normally could handle a quick sweep by himself. And there was nothing that would make him take this long. Especially not on their wedding day.

Something wasn't right.

Lucy stood up, gathering her dress around her hands, "I don't like this." She told Erza, "They've never taken this long before."

"Agreed," Erza nodded towards Mirajane, "We shall go investigate and drag them both back by their hair if need be."

Lucy stood up, letting her stardress quickly take over as her wedding dress faded away, "If you think I'm going to let to let you leave without me, that's not going to happen!"

Erza frowned as Lucy adjusted the bell to her Taurus stardress, but just before she could open her mouth to argue, the decision was made for the whole guild as the door burst open.

"Commander Heartfilia!" Eve exclaimed as he leaned against the doorframe to catch his breath, "It's Tartaros! They attacked and kidnapped Natsu and left Captain Fullbuster in bad shape!"

"What?" Lucy and Erza exclaimed at the same time.

"The attack must've been a lure." Erza growled, "They knew Natsu would come to defend the walls."

"That's nice to know, but we have to go after him!" Lucy exclaimed.

"We will." Jellal said firmly and locked gazes with Eve, "Rouse the council and muster the Knights as well as the guilds. It's time to put an end to this war permanently."

Eve saluted and sprinted off.

"Jellal..." Lucy started but he dropped a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you're worried, and you have every right to be, but an hour of co-ordination and preparation now could mean the difference between rescuing him and losing not only him but everything we fought for so far."

Lucy bit her lip. She didn't like it, but she knew he was right. They'd been preparing for this all year. There were plans and contingencies in place. Not activating them now would be the height of recklessness and could cost them everything.

She looked over her shoulder, where a pale looking Sting was trying to comfort his frightened sister. Her heart clenched at the sight, and she remembered with too much vividness that they had lost Natsu to the demons once already.

They all had to keep their heads. But how could they find him?

Natsu was on a floating airship getting further by the moment.

How could they hope to find Natsu when they didn't even know where Tartaros was taking him?

Unless...

Unless they could figure out where to go before them.

"Lucy?" Levy asked, seeing the fierceness entering her friends expression, "What're you thinking?"

Lucy looked at Levy, licking her lips and her heart racing. She didn't have a plan yet, but she knew Natsu better than anyone.

If Tartaros knew something about Natsu and where to take him, then she would too.

"I need your help and the notes we excavated on Natsu's tomb," Lucy pleaded with Levy. She grabbed her friends hand and looked up at Jellal, "We'll meet up with everyone soon!"

"Lucy! Wait where are we going?" Levy demanded.

Lucy didn't respond as she dragged Levy out, leaving the bewildered guild behind in her wake.

"Just hang on Natsu. Fight," She whispered, "Fight until we get there."

-::-

Flying somewhere above Fiore, Natsu groaned, a flood of liquid filling his lungs. He coughed and spluttered, but quickly realized he was totally submerged.

He opened his eyes, catching sight of his reflection in a tube. Natsu recognized where he was, and his fingers twitched at the thick tubes and fleshy cords twisting around his body.

His eyes flared, feeling etherious and demon particles flowing through his body. The pulse of heat that moved through him made him feel sick, but it was only because he remembered waking up in a tube like this before.

This was their regeneration chamber. It seemed they wanted to make him a willing puppet. Not that it would really help them. The only one who could control him was Lucy.

But whatever they were pouring into him definitely made him feel on edge. A little _too_ close to his demon roots.

That could have _interesting_ effects. Interesting enough he wasn't sure _what_ the effects might be. He was absolutely certain that as long as Lucy was alive his wife could control him, and he could never harm her, but that was the only thing he could be certain of.

Unfortunately, he wasn't together enough yet to actually yank out the tubes and break out. Kyoka had not held back once they'd made it back to Tartaros for his mocking insults about Zeref.

He actually wasn't sure how he was still in possession of his wits all things considered. Maybe Mardy had stopped her after he'd passed out?

It wouldn't surprise him if that was the case. They couldn't damage him but so much until they found their precious creator. Not that they knew about the consequences of that, and they probably wouldn't care if they did. He knew for a fact they were all convinced of their superiority to pretty much everyone except Zeref.

The odds of them believing a 'mere' golem could destroy them were slim to none.

He flexed his fingers a little, trying to test his movement, and felt a surge of relief hit him when they responded. Good. He was recovering then. A little more and he would be able to break out. Hopefully.

He had no interest in a reunion with Zeref, and even less of a desire to see Acnologia again.

He just hoped that whatever they were doing to track them down through him was difficult to work with. Because if he wasn't able to escape he would need every second for his angry wife and nest to catch up and rescue him.

He let out a sudden shudder when his magic suddenly surged, the etherious in his system lighting him up like a torch. His mouth dropped open, a grunting snarl barely escaping his chest.

It was smother by the liquid he was submerged in, as his body twisted of its own accord in the tank. His heart gave a frightened lurch over the spasms.

They didn't hurt, but he hated not having control over his body for even a second.

Slowly, his wings began to force their way out of his back, painfully adjusting bone and muscle before he forced himself to relax and let the transformation instinctively take over.

His tail slithered out, and Natsu was grateful for Tartaros penchant of stripping their victims naked for a moment. That would have been uncomfortable to say the least.

He glared at his reflection, his full, spiraling markings spreading over his cheeks and neck, curling over his shoulders and just past his collarbone.

They intentionally pushed him into his demonic form. But why?

The answer came moments later as the door slid open and Mard Geer prowled inside with Kyoka and that irritating little brat Lamy.

"Ah, look who is awake." Mard Geer purred as Natsu glared furiously at him, "And with so much more vigor than before. It's hard to believe you are the failed creation of our master."

Natsu couldn't speak, so he settled for baring his fangs at the other demon.

"Mmmmmmm... quite a temper you seem to have developed there Natsu." Mard Geer smirked as he stepped up to Natsu's tube and studied his tattoos with interest, "We shall have to work on adjusting that."

Natsu's tail lashed threateningly, but Mard Geer ignored it in favor of studying the markings intently, "Lamy I want pictures of all the markings."

"Yes sir!" Lamy crowed eagerly, and Natsu had to fight back the urge to shudder at the leer she sent him. Her looks were even creepier than his memories let on.

"No doubt you're wondering just what your markings have to do with anything." Mard Geer smirked, somehow looking down his nose despite being below Natsu's level, "The answer is... nothing really. At least not ordinarily. However, Zeref was clever enough to embed a spell into your markings so they could be used to locate him. You should be proud. You're finally going to serve a more useful purpose in bringing our master back."

Natsu's eyes went wide, his eyes scattering down to his arms where he could see them floating beside him. His markings...? All demons had markings in one way or another. Even the etherious ones of Tartaros. Although Natsu had to admit, his were a bit more obvious than the normal ones.

Were they really a way of locating Zeref?

In his heart, he knew it was true. It was a cold certainty that rocked him to the core of his being.

He knew that, just as much as he knew Mard Geer would have everything he needed to find Zeref - and by extension, Acnologia.

He had to escape. He had to stop him before he made a horrible mistake.

Natsu's hand balled into a fist and he reared it back, slamming his knuckles straight into the tube wall. A long crack splintered down the side, the thick liquid he was suspended in began to ooze down the side.

"Kyoka," Mard Geer commanded sharply.

At once, Natsu's mind began to fill and cloud over with pain, his nerves twisting into knots as he felt like holes were being blown through his body. For every pulse of the particles and etherious running through him, it was like shrapnel was being fed through his veins.

Kyoka's magic was fierce, causing his body unimaginable sensation as he gasped, choked, and gargled in his tank.

His vision began to fade once more, his mind retreating away from the pain dominating it.

Until all he could see was blackness.

-::-

Meanwhile, back in Magnolia, Lucy frowned as she poured over Levy's notes, "There's something I'm not seeing." She grumbled, "But it's right in front of me. I know it."

"Well, let's try taking a step back." Levy suggested, "What do you know right now?"

Lucy took a deep breath and set the papers down, "I know that there's something about Natsu the demons have been after that will lead them to Zeref. Based on Natsu's memories, I think it has something to do with him being a golem. Zeref specifically mentioned when he sealed Natsu away that he would be able to find him."

She tapped the pictures Levy had gotten of Natsu's markings, "I think it has something to do with the markings on him. Those are the only thing he shares in common with Acnologia besides being a dragon. The problem is, I can't work out the connection between the two."

Levy frowned a little, "Well, if you think the markings are important, maybe they give some indication of where Zeref is?"

Lucy frowned, "But Natsu had the markings from the beginning. They weren't added later."

"No." Levy agreed, "But they wouldn't have to be. Zeref is an unparalleled script mage. If you assume the markings represent the spell script bringing Natsu to life, then as long as you knew how they were written it would be easy to adjust them to contain other information too."

Lucy blinked at that, "Could he have turned Natsu's markings into a map of some kind?"

"It's a possibility," Levy said after a moment, "If they were a map though, they would only fully emerge in his full demonic state - which would explain why they would need him."

Levy huffed as she rifled through their papers and maps from the old temple. She pulled out a worn map, which was the one she had used to find Natsu's tomb to begin with.

"Now this map is one from four hundred years ago. Natsu's time when he was enslaved to the demons," Levy waved the worn parchment in front of Lucy's face before unrolling it and placing a translucent, modern map directly on top of it.

"I was able to guess where Zeref originally put Natsu by this, and find out where Natsu's tomb was depending on moving terrain and just the environment changing." Levy hummed and twisted the map around.

"It can't be as simple as laying Natsu's markings down on top of this map, is it?" Lucy asked quietly.

Levy shrugged and shook her head.

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" she asked.

Lucy grinned fiercely at her friend and quickly shuffled the images, thankful Natsu's markings had been transcribed to a similar translucent sheet as well. She aligned them carefully, and her eyes widened.

"Levy... am I seeing that correctly?" She asked in a whisper.

"I... I think you might be. Align the modern map with it too?"

in: Lucy nodded and overlaid the modern map on top of the other two, "Gods..." She breathed, "It's Galuna Island. That marking on Natsu looks _exactly_ like Galuna Island."

"And look there!" Levy exclaimed, "The lines around it flow towards a specific point on Galuna!"

"The temple." Lucy whispered, "It has to be. The demons there said that Galuna still had an ancient holy temple there. They couldn't visit it because they weren't strong enough to penetrate its magic, but I doubt passive magic that old would keep out Zeref or his high level demons!"

She looked up excitedly, "And didn't the demons mention there was an underground network of caves and waterways underneath it?"

"They did!" Levy grinned as she continued to study the map for other clues, "And look here and here." She gestured to other portions, "These markings fit perfectly for what would've been landmarks at the time! Straight from where we found Natsu to Galuna!"

Lucy felt hope surge in her. They'd unlocked Natsu's markings. It seemed so simple now, and she had to wonder why they'd never made the connection before.

Part of her wanted to be wary. They couldn't afford to get this wrong. Not even a little bit. But there wasn't time to double and triple check. They would have to trust their feelings on this, and her gut told her this was the answer.

She looked at Levy who seemed to understand the conflict she felt, and nodded firmly, "I think this is it Lucy. The odds of it being anything else are too low."

Lucy took a steadying breath and nodded as she got up, "Let's tell Jellal and Erza then."

* * *

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _She froze, not only at the sight of Mard Geer's back to her, but the large tomb beyond him that probably contained Zeref himself._

 _Her blood ran cold as she realized that Mard Geer was busy performing a ritual that would wake up the darkest wizard in history, his darkest creation, and turn them both loose on the world._

 _They didn't have much time._

 _She glanced over at Natsu, who had spotted her and was staring at her in mingled surprise and delight. She lifted her finger to her lips. She raised her whip and cracked it down sharply, "Earth Wave!_


	46. Jörmungandr

_Sorry for the late update guys! It's a really long chapter and it's definitely worth hanging in there! Just two more chapters left to go!_

 ** _THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 46**_

 _ **Jörmungandr**_

 _According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children by Angrboða—the wolf Fenrir, Hel, and Jörmungandr—and tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that it was able to surround the earth and grasp its own tail. As a result, it received the name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. When it releases its tail, Ragnarök will begin._

* * *

Lucy placed herself in front of a lacrima, set to connect directly with Igneel's nest. While preparations were underway to gather everyone who was needed to mount a rescue for Natsu, she spent her time trying to get in contact with the dragons.

So far the only thing she had managed to achieve was magical static to an empty line.

"No luck?"

Lifting her head, Lucy's eyes fell over Gray's familiar slouch by the door. His expression was hooded, face somewhat pale. She knew his thoughts were in a faraway place, just as hers were. Still, she managed a faint smile for the man who no doubt was blaming himself for Natsu's disappearance.

"I'm afraid not, I don't think we're going to be able to get a notice to the dragons in time," Lucy whispered.

Gray dipped his head in acknowledgement, pushing off the doorframe to join her. Settling a hand down against her shoulder, he squeezed it in a show of solidarity.

"Tartaros has always done a good job of covering its tracks, I wouldn't be surprised if the dragons were fending off double pronged attack on their nest just to keep them where they can't help," Gray frowned at the distress marking Lucy's face. His hand smoothed over the back of her neck and between her shoulders in a soothing rub.

"We're going to get that idiot back, I promise you no matter what the cost or consequences, Fairy Tail has your back in this," Gray said firmly.

Finally a fuller smile, closer to Lucy's true one flashed over her cheeks. She twisted her arms around his shoulders to hug him.

"Thanks partner."

"Anytime," Gray helped her stand up, clearly putting his foot down on waiting any longer. Not that Lucy needed much motivation, she rose by her own power and lifted her chin up.

"I'll get Sting and Rogue."

Lucy nodded and they headed out to go save Natsu.

Of course, it wasn't quite that easy. Such things never were. Alerting Igneel over Natsu's kidnapping was still impossible, but those remaining would continue attempting to contact Igneel and alert the nest. Lucy didn't have much faith in them getting through though. It was becoming more obvious as time went on the nest was under attack. Which meant they would be going in with a much smaller force and without backup. They could hardly leave Magnolia unprotected after all.

However, there was no force more motivated in the world than Fairy Tail, and even without the dragon's assistance in the rescue mission, Lucy liked their chances as a guild. She smiled a little as she watched the people who had become her closest friends, her family, crowd into Sting and Rogue's claws. They were each determined to help save Natsu, and it wasn't until Erza and Jellal began giving clear orders of who could go and who could stay that things calmed down a little.

It warmed her heart to see how much their adopted family loved them.

Unfortunately, that warmth didn't last nearly long enough. When they arrived back at Galuna, the whole atmosphere of the island had changed. The first thing Lucy noticed was the _quiet_. No one was out working. Normally at a time like this, they were fishing in shallow waters or even gathering wood for their village.

The area was eerily devoid of life, and it sent a shiver up her spine as they landed, but despite that Lucy took in the sight of the village with a trace of fondness. She and Natsu had their first kiss here, and he had been eager to return to see their friends.

She wondered if subconsciously he may have sensed what was under the temple.

There were no villagers in sight after they landed either, everyone was quiet and kept safely indoors. Sometimes a brave soul would peek out their huts, but would quickly disappear back inside. Familiar faces pressed against the barriers separating them to breathe vows of good luck at those who passed. Lucy understood their fear and had no expectation of them to fight. She doubted they were even able to, all restrained inside their huts as they were.

It seemed Tartaros had beat them there.

"This isn't good." Lucy murmured.

"Aye." Happy agreed from where he was nervously perched on her back.

"We'll have to proceed with caution." Erza declared grimly, "There's no telling who, or what, they might've left to greet us if they were followed."

"Well, the temple is that way." Levy pointed, "We could either have Sting or Rogue take us or hike the distance there."

"Either option poses significant risk." Erza mused, and Sting shivered.

"I'd just as soon not be shot out of the air twice thank you." He growled, "Especially since most of you don't have the ability to fly or a partner to help you."

"We'll hike the distance then." Erza decreed, "Happy, be ready for anything. Lucy will be a priority target."

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed with more confidence. Natsu had begun entrusting Lucy's safety to his paws months ago, and he was not about to let his best friend down now.

The group warily proceeded into the jungle towards the temple. Now it was only Gajeel who noticed the many eyes peeking at them from the village. And only the dragons heard the whispered, "Good luck." that followed them.

They moved deeper into the forest, plants hanging heavy around them and dipping into their path. Keeping their heads swivelling for danger, they peered into the thick canopy of leaves to try and spot the enemies hiding out of sight.

It turned out Erza's instincts were correct when a high pitched whine broke the silence from the forest. A bloom of smoke curled out into the path, obscuring their vision just as a rush of explosions showered all around them.

It caused their group to scatter in all directions, Lucy slamming back with Happy buried in her chest to shield him from any of the debris. She shot a worried look behind her at the village, afraid that some of the rocks may have blasted back through their community.

None of them were given long to study their surroundings however, as various attacks sent them all jumping and scattering into directions even further from one another.

From the smoke emerged several figures, and Lucy felt her heart stop at the sight of them all standing there.

Almost all of the nine demon gates were gathered, with the exception of their leader and his sadistic right hand.

Juvia lifted her arms, setting out the fires sparked with a rush of water.

"We've got this," Gray smirked at Lucy, a rush of cold spreading out from him.

"You and Erza go ahead. Stop Mard Geer and get your idiot husband back," He flashed Lucy a smirk.

"I've still got a bone to pick with that demoness bitch, but I'll put it to the side for the moment," Gray grunted at Lucy, "I'll be fine! We can't afford to waste any more time here."

Lucy hesitated another moment and then nodded, "Okay. Good luck. You'd better win."

Gray flashed her a sharp grin, "Don't I always?"

Lucy shot him a pointed look, but was prevented from answering as Erza grabbed her wrist and sprinted into the jungle.

The others apparently took that as their signal to attack as fighting erupted all around them. However, whether by luck, or Erza's innate ability to read any kind of battlefield, none of the gates were able to so much as look at them before their guildmates attacked and distracted them.

That was both heartening and worrying, but Lucy tried not to think about it as they raced for the temple. They had more important things to worry about.

Unfortunately, their obstacles were far from over.

They were confronted by a fierce looking Kyoka, who stood with confidence as she blocked their path.

"How cute," Kyoka purred, her eyes drawing over her would-be victims, "You three managed to slip through the other's gaps."

Her claws twitched and she advanced a single step, "But this is the end of your line. Beyond this ridge is my Master Mard Geer as he hopes to awaken our Lord."

Her eyes flared with her dark power, "I will not let anyone interfere!"

Erza sprang into step with Kyoka, blocking the demoness from going near Lucy.

"I've got this one," Erza said with a firmness Lucy could not argue with, "You go get Natsu!"

Lucy hesitated only for a moment, hating that she would leave yet another friend behind.

However she had faith in her. Faith in Erza's ability to win

So Lucy nodded, her jaw gritting and her keys clenched in her fist.

"Be careful," She said, meaning every word that fell from her mouth. She twisted at the waist and disappeared into the woods, allowing Erza the time to turn Kyoka's attack around.

Which left Lucy alone as she crept into the temple, the temperature climbing the further she crawled in.

The rising temperature was reassuring though. It increased the chances that Natsu was also ahead and not still stuck on Tartaros somewhere. Though chances were excellent he was subdued somehow, and it was debatable if she would be able to rouse him.

Of course, she had to find him first.

"I'm telling you! You're making a huge mistake!"

Lucy perked up at the sound of Natsu's furious raging, and she couldn't help smirking. Bless her very loud and angry husband. Those two sentences had not only assured her he was here, but that he was in a state to fight once she freed him. Further, there was a decent chance all his shouting was masking her own approach.

She still took care as she crept forward, but it only took her a few more steps before she was rounding the corner into the cavern quite abruptly.

She froze, not only at the sight of Mard Geer's back to her, but the large tomb beyond him that probably contained Zeref himself.

Her blood ran cold as she realized that Mard Geer was busy performing a ritual that would wake up the darkest wizard in history, his darkest creation, and turn them both loose on the world.

They didn't have much time.

She glanced over at Natsu, who had spotted her and was staring at her in mingled surprise and delight. She lifted her finger to her lips. She raised her whip and cracked it down sharply, "Earth Wave!"

Natsu's eyebrows climbed straight into his hair when he realized Lucy's attack was not on Mard Geer or the tomb. Rather, it was on the magical circle he was sitting smack dab in the center of.

Lucy smirked as Natsu's expression flickered from delight, to pale faced horror as he threw his arms up to shield his face.

Sure enough, Lucy's attack was strong enough to blast him right out of the circle, and she watched with satisfaction as his restraints broke.

Her husband slowly stood up, his wings stretching out to balance his swaying body.

Now freed, he glared up at Mard Geer, who hadn't so much as paused during the commotion. His fingers flexed, profound relief a jarring emotion over his face. It seemed like there were parts of him fighting with an inherent fear of being powerless again, but he was struggling to keep them hidden.

Lucy was glad she had trusted her instincts. Eliminating the restraints that were keeping her husband trapped in the hands of his tormentors was worth passing up a shot at the bastard keeping him hostage.

Natsu looked up, his face steeling with remembrance and anger. For a moment his eyes drifted over to Lucy, both adoring and filled with gratitude. But they flashed back to Mard Geer in a second. His fingers curled into fists, fire blooming from his mouth to show the full extent of the anger he felt over being a prisoner again.

"Mard Geer!" Natsu snarled at the demon, "Enough! I'm going to smash your skull into next century!"

His fists came together to punctuate his words, and fire licked out of his mouth. Natsu's eyes flashed to Lucy, both nodding at one another as they advanced towards the Master of Tartaros.

No sooner had they gone three steps though, did a sudden shake boil through the whole temple. Stone and dust filtered down from the ceiling...

But what was more horrifying, was the long crack that appeared on the black tomb door.

"You're too late END," Mard Geer smirked, his expression joyous as he stepped back. His arms spread open wide.

"Now rejoice, as our Lord returns to us."

"Shit." Lucy breathed as the crack widened and spiderwebbed outwards into an increasing web until the whole thing suddenly collapsed on itself, kicking up a lot of dust in the process.

Lucy coughed a little, unconsciously shifting closer to Natsu as she did, and as the dust settled the form of a dark haired man could be seen. She watched in horror as Zeref's eyes slowly blinked open, and heard a low, hateful, growl erupt from Natsu.

It attracted Zeref's attention and he smiled in delight at the sight of Natsu glaring at him like he wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb and beat him to death with them.

"Well!" He exclaimed, ignoring Mard Geer as he stepped calmly out of his tomb, "I believe that's the most emotion I've ever seen out of you Natsu! That's very good. I hope you have the strength to back up that hatred. You'll need them shortly."

His eyes turned to Lucy curiously, "And who are you my dear? Natsu's new mistress?"

Lucy glared at the dark wizard, "I happen to be Natsu's _wife_." She bit out, her fear turning to anger at the sight of the wizard that had so casually destroyed so many lives.

The one responsible for creating Deliora. The one who had _started_ this seemingly unending war.

She stared at him and for that moment she understood _exactly_ how her husband felt.

Natsu bared his fangs, clearly sensing his mistress' desires, which only fed his own bloodlust.

Fire erupted along his arms and he sprang at Zeref. His wings caught the warm air currents as his hand wrapped around his creator's throat and slammed him into the ground. His grip tightened threateningly.

"She's a clever one, isn't she? Somehow your mistress even managed to discover your true name. Remarkable," Zeref wheezed, his hand wrapping around Natsu's sturdy wrist.

"I am very happy for you though Natsu, you found love for yourself." He choked out.

Natsu roared angrily in Zeref's face, his temper causing his nails to dig into the tender flesh of his throat. He was no longer Natsu's master. Zeref held no control over him.

And in truth, Natsu would have snapped his neck right then and there, had it not been for a sudden, encompassing aura that filled the entire tomb.

"What is that?" Mard Geer breathed.

"Trouble, no thanks to you." Lucy snapped even as she instinctively backed away from the source of the aura.

"That is true." Zeref wheezed around Natsu's grip, "You remember Acnologia don't you Mard Geer? By awakening me, you've awoken him as well."

"The black dragon?" Mard Geer replied, going pale as he realized what END had been trying to warn him about.

"Natsu..." Lucy called tensely as the rumbling increased, "Is it just me, or is he more powerful than your memories showed?"

"Nothing has changed about Acnologia's power." Zeref replied before Natsu could.

Natsu flashed him a glare, but wasn't sure either way. His memories of Acnologia hadn't seemed this bad, but at the same time his soul had been crushed by then. Even viewing it in the third person the way he had things might've been muted.

He didn't have more time to think about it though as the golem himself burst into view.

At least his memories of what Acnologia looked like were accurate. He would give the bastard that much anyway.

He had long hair that curled in wild locks around his face and down his back, much like Natsu's had when he first woke up. Before Lucy had Cancer visiting him regularly. But furthermore, the markings on his skin that so similarly reflected the ones on Natsu's own body were a light blue in contrast to his tanned skin.

But when Natsu had fought him before, Acnologia had been a dragon. Now he was a demon. Perhaps he was the same strength as he had been when he was sealed away, but Natsu had never fought him while he was in this state.

And that oppressive magic alone felt like it was powerful enough to absolutely crush them.

The perfected golem took two staggering steps, which seemed like it was all he needed before he stood upright, completely balanced. His sharp eyes narrowed with malicious intent, his fangs baring as a low growl ripped from his throat.

His eyes fell to Zeref, and then Mard Geer, trailing over Natsu and landing finally on Lucy.

"Worms. Everywhere." Acnologia snarled quietly at Zeref, his fingers clenching into fists at his side, "And you, wizard, you made me just like the wretched creatures."

"Worms?" Mard Geer growled indignantly, "We are Lord Zeref's greatest creations! You should be thanking him for taking the time to personally select you to become one of us!"

There was a moment of silence following Mard Geer's proclamation and then suddenly, in a blinding fast move, Acnologia lashed out and gripped him tightly around the throat.

"I am a shadow of my former self." The golem snarled lowly, his grip tightening on Mard Geer's neck, "That filth you call a Lord should be begging for mercy under my talons! Instead I am forced to obey his whim!" The crazed look in his eyes grew, "I! Who once ruled all of dragonkind!"

Lucy glanced uneasily at Natsu. There weren't many ways this could possibly get worse. Acnologia was very obviously as completely insane as he was powerful. Whether that had happened before he'd been turned into a Golem or after was irrelevant at this point. What mattered was he was awake, and they were going to have to deal with him.

Even more worrying though was the way Acnologia's marks had started flickering and fading as he spoke. She didn't know what that meant, but she doubted it was anything good for their sake.

Sure enough, Zeref reeled backwards, a lashing of magic from him cracking down into the earth. A large crater formed from the dark spots his powers touched, but no one paid it any attention. Not when there was something much more important going on just a few feet from them.

"He's breaking free of my control Natsu," Zeref admitted, a trickle of sweat trailing down his temple. It was the only sign he was losing control, his face as unflappable as it was when Natsu had been strangling him, "If he breaks free, there's no telling what he'll do!"

"And what do you care?" Lucy demanded, her anger boiling over as she glared at the wizard who was responsible for so much pain in their world. The one who had enslaved her husband, created the demons of Tartaros, and had killed her father, "If Acnologia runs loose and destroys everything, that would suit you just fine wouldn't it?"

Zeref didn't reply at first, his hand raising to try and keep Acnologia at bay. But the dragon was too full of fury, the blue markings seeming to fade faster than Zeref could reapply them.

"I have no excuse for my actions. I took, pillaged, and destroyed wherever I saw fit." Zeref responded, "I did it all for my own reasons. Ones I thought were correct at the time, to try and repair something that happened long ago. I didn't even consider, for a very long time, what the consequences would be."

"It was only when I was sealed with Acnologia, did I have the time to reflect on everything I had done. To realize what I had done to the dragons, to humans, and to understand just a fraction of the pain I could never repair," Zeref frowned, just by a fraction of a degree, "I wished to cleanse the world, never to destroy it."

Lucy's fists clenched tightly as she stepped closer to the dark wizard, "I don't believe you will _ever_ comprehend what you've done." She hissed, "And I would love nothing more than to kill you myself for all the pain you've put us through the last four hundred years, but right now you're the only thing holding Acnologia back. And you will _keep_ holding him back or so help me not even your best demons will stop what I will do to you!"

She paused just long enough for Zeref's eyes to widen a little in surprise before she spun around to face an equally surprised Natsu. Though there was a dark, approval in his eyes that had her blushing slightly.

"Lucy..." He growled lowly.

Lucy's blush deepened, with a smile, but she gestured to where Acnologia was growling and clearly distracted as he kept fighting the controls and restraints Zeref was putting on him, "Lets deal with that."

Natsu nodded, fire erupting at his fists, but before he could so much as breathe in Acnologia's direction the former king roared furiously.

"No! I will not be controlled any more!" He snarled, "And I will not lose to Igneel's son!"

The blast he unleashed next was so powerful, it nailed Natsu right in center mass. He hurtled backwards, slamming into Zeref as they both tumbled over themselves and into the wall. Acnologia's eyes flared with madness and a rage that boiled over in his magic.

"I don't get it!" Natsu snarled as he shoved his way up, "Why is he able to fight against your commands? I can't do even a shred of what he can do!"

Zeref groaned, his concentration failing as Acnologia's spiraling tattoos finally began to fade away.

"I miscalculated in my experiment," Zeref said grimly, "I believed a soul of a dragon would be enough power to fuel the weapon I needed. However what I originally wanted was the soul of a fully mature dragon that would not need training or time to grow."

Anger flared through Natsu and he hissed at the black wizard, "You wanted my dad."

Zeref's eyes flashed towards Natsu, a somewhat muted smile on his face, "Yes." he admitted, "I suppose at the time I did, but I settled for second best - Acnologia."

"But I didn't have the means of capturing him. Not without a dragon. So I took you as a hatchling," Zeref reached out, struggling to keep a grasp on Acnologia's last chain, "I didn't realize your obedience came from the lack of maturity in your soul. Acnologia has well over a millenia of life and experience. The control I have over him is barely sufficient to keep him still much less give him commands."

Which meant Acnologia's soul had experienced so much in its life, it didn't need Zeref's magic to keep it sustained. He had life on its own.

Natsu rushed back to his feet. In that case, it meant they had only seconds before Acnologia truly began to hurt them.

But, Natsu's stomach clenched with hesitation, it didn't have to be that way. Acnologia was the only other creature like him in the whole world and there was a part of him that knew he had to at least try to get through to him. Acnologia had been captured and subsequently slain by his hand. Which meant he was Natsu's responsibility.

"Acnologia," He called out, pleading with the older golem, "I know what you're feeling now! You're just as much a victim in this as I was. But breaking loose and killing everyone isn't going to help you! We can give you another chance!"

Acnologia had gone still during Natsu's exchange with Zeref, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the young fire drake in a new light.

"You were a hatchling?" He rumbled, ignoring the rest of Natsu's plea for the moment, "I knew you were Igneel's son, but I was unaware you were so young."

Natsu blinked in surprise at the shift in Acnologia. The soft rumble of concern in the old dragon's voice was genuine, and for the first time he could see just _why_ Acnologia had been king before his father. This was a powerful drake. One who cared deeply for his people even if he had no tolerance for humans, and a small part of him warmed instinctively in response.

"Yeah." He replied, hope surging in him that maybe it was possible to salvage this after all, "I was taken just a few days before I was due to hatch."

Acnologia cocked his head slightly, his expression intent as he studied Natsu more carefully, "Your expression was blank when I met you the first time." He observed, "It appeared your soul had been destroyed. How has that changed?"

Natsu grinned a little, "Lucy accidentally bonded to me and released me from my seal a couple years ago. Her magic healed me from Zeref's abuse, and she's taught me how to live since then."

"I see." Acnologia glanced briefly at Lucy before returning his attention back to Natsu, "And how close are you to your own freedom?"

"My own freedom?" Natsu blinked, his arms relaxing down at his sides.

"Don't listen to him Natsu!" Zeref grunted, his magic loosening by the moment, "You need to destroy him now!"

Acnologia's eyes narrowed at Zeref, and with one final push, shattered the remaining link the black wizard had.

Zeref went reeling back, and Natsu stared at Acnologia in muted surprise. Especially since he did nothing with his newfound 'freedom'.

"Yes," Acnologia rumbled, "I can't imagine you must have had much opportunity being as young as you were. In truth, you've only been up and running perhaps a decade in total. Not even that."

"You are still little more than a fledgling in terms of dragons," Acnologia growled, "But you have begun to experience things anew..."

"Yes!" Natsu said in a rush, finding it a little dizzying to know that such a thing was possible for a golem. He could gain freedom?

Not that he ever felt confined when he was with Lucy, and he had come to love their bond dearly.

He still knew his presence put her life at risk, and that was a fact he would rather do without.

"Natsu...?" Lucy's voice was hesitant, her eyes flashing between the two golems.

Natsu sensed the worry in her, and privately acknowledged it, but didn't take his eyes off Acnologia. If Acnologia could be talked down then he had to try it. And if he could find a way to break the bond that kept Lucy in the spotlight... even better.

"Emotion." Acnologia rumbled to his unspoken question, "Emotion is the key. But not just any emotion fledgling. You must experience all of them, and for that you need a full life."

His eyes glowed a little, "I have lived such a life. I had a queen at my side for centuries before I lost her. I was a father and a brother. I was a king before I lost your father's challenge. I have experienced every emotion imaginable. It's that experience that gives you strength. Strength of will enough to overcome the bindings placed upon you no matter how long it takes."

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. That was the key? Experiencing life itself? Then that meant... Lucy had been unknowingly helping to free him since the moment they bonded!

But... if that was the case then something had to be missing. Something that kept the bond strong. His markings hadn't so much as faded even a little in all his time with Lucy, let alone to the point Acnologia's had before they were broken.

What could be missing from the mix? Lucy and the rest of his nest had worked very hard to teach him as much about life, the good and the bad, as much as possible. Even if they didn't know they were doing it at the time.

He wasn't sure, and he doubted this was something Lucy or anyone else would know either.

"I see." Acnologia rumbled again as he appeared to get tired of holding Mard Geer by the throat and threw the demon forcefully into Zeref, "You must be very close if you're so confused about what you're missing." He prowled a step towards Natsu, "Close enough I can help you achieve your freedom."

"Natsu..." Lucy said again, a little more tensely this time, "I don't trust this..."

Natsu could sense his mistresses distress, and he turned, whining a little in the back of his throat. It was a type of apology for having neglected her growing distress.

He huffed out a sigh, turning towards Acnologia and straightening his shoulders. It took strangling his curiosity, but for the time being it was for the best.

"I'm already free," Natsu said after a long moment, "Lucy taught me everything I need to know about life. Everything I want to know at least."

"Now, you're free Acnologia. There's no point in fighting anymore, right? You should come with us, and we can help you find a new home," Natsu gently prodded, hoping the other would take the bait.

Acnologia heaved a tremendous sigh, his chest rising and falling. Happy caught up, fluttering up near the door behind them.

"I'm afraid you're wrong," Acnologia said, his voice growling deep somewhere in the pit of his chest.

Natsu felt just the barest hint of ice slide down his spine when suddenly Acnologia shifted his weight.

And was gone.

"Nats-!" Lucy's voice cut off next to him, gasping hoarsely from where he hadn't even been looking.

Freezing, he turned to see Acnologia's hand wrapped around Lucy's delicate throat. His grip was bruising, and Natsu already knew colorful bruises would bloom on her pale skin.

"The human wench has you tight under her leash, so she has not taught you everything yet," Acnologia growled dangerously, "But don't worry fledgling, I'll free you."

Natsu's eyes widened in horror as Acnologia's meaning became clear, but before he could do more than clench his fists and take a step towards them Acnologia roared with pain and staggered as a black spell crashed into his back.

Lucy took that exact moment to try and used her Taurus enhanced strength to tear away from Acnologia's grip. An action that had the dragon hissing furiously.

"Human worm!" He snarled hatefully as Natsu rushed him, his fists blazing. The older golem never twitched though as he casually backhanded Lucy into the far wall with enough force to create a crater the size of a full grown dragon.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried in horror as his wife crumpled to the ground, rocks falling around her, and did not move.

"Be free fledgling." Acnologia growled uncaringly, "The human filth is beneath us anyway." He turned his attention to Zeref, not giving Natsu another thought, "And now it's time to deal with this worm."

"You will not touch my Lord Zeref." Mard Geer growled darkly, having obviously recovered from his own near strangling, interposing himself between Acnologia and Zeref, "I will destroy you myself!"

Natsu paid no attention to the sudden fight that was happening behind him. He was sprinting towards Lucy's prone body as if his life depended on it. In a way, it did, but not for the reasons that were obvious. Lucy was his absolute world. And without her in it-

Nothing was right.

Natsu didn't see the frantic rush of wings as Happy left in a hurry to try and get help, only dropping down beside his wife and crawling forward onto his knees.

"Lucy..." He croaked softly, his hands gently coming to cradle her head. It was too limp in his hold, too fragile and _oh god there was so much blood._ His breath came in a ragged push of air, causing his lungs to nearly deflate to the size of a straw.

Her eyes met his, cloudy and unfocused with pain as she fought to smile through what had to be an awful sort of agony. His hands trembled, sensing her pain as if it were his own and hating himself for even thinking for a second he could have talked Acnologia down.

Lucy had known.

Lucy always knew.

"S-sorry," Lucy whimpered, his sensitive ears picking up the quiet wetness in her lungs. His heart stopped as he realized the extent of her injuries. A dragon as powerful as Acnologia could crush a normal wizard with a single thought, "I wanted to show you- the world-"

"Don't, I don't need the world. I just need you," Natsu breathed desperately, pushing a blonde lock of hair from her face that was too sticky with red slickness. Her blood was on his hands and soaking into his pants. He saw the way her eyes began to close, and panic flared in his chest, "Wendy!" he roared.

Tears stung at his eyes, like hot trails of fire that scorched and boiled his skin. His chest felt tight as Lucy's body grew very still in his hands.

" _WENDY!"_

His desperation served no purpose though, when he felt something strong rip through his chest. It was a pain he felt before, like a searing rod trying to tear his soul from his body.

It could only mean one thing - that Lucy was...

No.

 _No!_

* * *

 ** _Ahem. And on that note, Kytrin and I will be going into hiding for a bit. Enjoy your sneak peek! We're not through yet!_**

 ** _30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK_**

 _"You killed her." He whispered roughly, but the sound echoed through the chamber, pausing the fight he'd been ignoring, "You killed my queen. The only good and pure thing in my life."_

 _He looked up, his eyes raw and burning, "And why?" He asked, his voice cracking, "Because you thought I wasn't free? Because you thought she was beneath you?"_

 _"LUCY WAS WORTH A THOUSAND OF YOU!"_

 _He roared as fire erupted all around him, his pain and grief channeling itself into a wild rage that was directed entirely at Acnologia._

 _Natsu was blind to everything but Acnologia. The battered demon and broken Zeref meant nothing to him. There was only the one who had snatched his wife away from him before they could begin to live out their life together._

 _And now, now - after four hundred years, Natsu was no longer a slave to the commands of another. But never had he felt more imprisoned in his life._


	47. Ares

WOW I've never seen so many people try to scratch our eyes out over the internet before. Haha, gotta say that was pretty funny.

No house keeping necessary guys, thanks so much for hanging in there with us!

 _ **THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS! COME AND SEE US FOR OUR LAST CHAPTER!**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 47**

 _ **Ares**_

 _Ares was the god of war, and son of Zeus and Hera. He represented the raw violence and untamed acts that occurred in wartime._

* * *

Natsu's blood roared in his veins, drowning out everything else as grief and denial both clawed their way through him. The bond was unraveling, and he couldn't stop it. He didn't really want to either. Not if it meant he would join her on her new adventure.

He never noticed the way his markings began to fade as he sat there, tears boiling down his cheeks, as the most precious thing in the world was taken from him.

He barely noticed Happy arriving with Wendy, and his small sister rushing to Lucy's side.

It wouldn't do any good. The bond was gone now. Lucy's warm magic no longer bound them together, and he'd never felt more cold and alone in his life.

That was when it hit him distantly through the overwhelming pain in his heart.

He was still thinking.

He should've shut off by now. Become a dead husk again. His soul torn from him and following Lucy on their next adventure together.

But he wasn't.

He was still there.

He _felt_ numb, but he was still there. Still thinking.

Slowly, confusedly, he tried to raise his hand up and blinked when it actually obeyed him.

It took him a few moments longer to register that his arm was clean, and free of markings.

They were gone.

He was free.

But one look at the cost of his freedom, his love, had fresh tears trickling down his face. However, this time, the pain was accompanied by something else he was familiar with.

Fury.

Acnologia had destroyed the one good thing in his life for _this_?

This wasn't freedom. This was agony, and he didn't want it. He didn't want _any_ of it.

"You killed her." He whispered roughly, but the sound echoed through the chamber, pausing the fight he'd been ignoring, "You killed my queen. The only good and pure thing in my life."

He looked up, his eyes raw and burning, "And why?" He asked, his voice cracking, "Because you thought I wasn't free? Because you thought she was _beneath_ you?"

"LUCY WAS WORTH A THOUSAND OF YOU!"

He roared as fire erupted all around him, his pain and grief channeling itself into a wild rage that was directed entirely at Acnologia.

Natsu was blind to everything but Acnologia. The battered demon and broken Zeref meant nothing to him. There was only the one who had snatched his wife away from him before they could begin to live out their life together.

And now, _now_ \- after four hundred years, Natsu was no longer a slave to the commands of another. But never had he felt more imprisoned in his life.

He was on Acnologia before he could even take a breath, his hand closing around the other golem's face. Gripping down with his claws, his wings flaring out on either side of him, he smashed Acnologia down into the ground. Power mounting, he let out a sound that was more scream than roar when the earth broke under his strike.

Acnologia was not an enemy he could simply break apart with might alone though. And Natsu felt a jet of blue light blast him back several feet, a burn smoking in his chest.

"So, it seems _grief_ is what you needed to finally break free," Acnologia studied, his expression narrowed as he took in Natsu's tear-stained face and wild eyes.

"Wake up you child!" Acnologia snapped, "You were meant to be a dragon! Not some dog on a leash for the whims of a human girl! I have saved you from a fate worse than death - she was just-"

"If you say she was just _human_ one more time," Natsu boiled, his voice dropping down to a quiet rumble, "I will finish you in a way my father never did."

Acnologia narrowed his eyes at that. The fledgling wasn't kidding. His attachment to the human was unnatural, and beneath him, but irrespective of that it meant enough to the boy that he would even consider uttering a threat like that in the first place.

If the child actually worked out how to tap into his dragonforce despite his bastardized form and powers he would have a somewhat difficult fight on his hands. It was fortunate he had far more experience in fighting than Natsu possibly could have ever dreamed of.

He growled warningly as Natsu prowled closer while he thought, fire licking his body and a promise of death in his eyes, only to be brought up short when Natsu growled back in exactly the same way.

A challenge? Was the fledgling serious?

It seemed he was as Natsu leapt into the air and unleashed a wing attack right where he was standing.

Neither drake paid any attention to the tiny hatchling and her blue guardian pouring wave after wave of healing energy into Lucy's broken form.

Nor did they notice the fierce smile that broke out over Wendy's lips as Lucy's chest moved.

The fight was mindless. Natsu poured everything he had in each attack. Even though tears burned in the back of his eyes, he didn't let himself cling back to the grief that had consumed him before. He needed to defeat this enemy here and now. Acnologia had not only taken away Lucy from him, but if he was allowed to go on, he would keep taking away the things Lucy had loved most.

Their family, their friends. Everything they had fought so hard to repair.

He wouldn't let any of her endeavors go in vain.

But Acnologia was a tough opponent, and even though he had been encased for four hundred years, it seemed all of his skill came back to him as fluidly as if he had never stopped for a single day. Natsu was blasted back, his wings bending awkwardly under his body as he slammed into the cavern wall. The whole temple trembled violently while Acnologia advanced towards Natsu.

He spat out blood that had begun to collect in his mouth. It was difficult for him to climb back up to his feet, because for every blow he landed on the dragon, Acnologia dealt him three more. It wasn't a fight he was winning at any rate.

But he was determined to win for Lucy. That alone was more than enough for him to push back to his feet and rush back at the older dragon with a deafening roar. Snarling, he caught Acnologia around his waist, the dragon slamming back through a wall Natsu blasted through. They ended up back into the main chamber, Natsu skidding on the balls of his feet.

His claws bit into the earth, all of the chemicals Tartaros had pumped him full of had begun to rush into his head. In truth, he was actually beginning to feel a little ill.

Nausea boiled up inside him as he thought. Okay make that more than a _little_.

He gagged a little as his throat tightened and he dropped forward as he clutched at it. What was happening to him?

The answer came almost immediately.

The etherious from before. He'd been pumped full of it. He wasn't sure why the effects were only kicking in now, but it felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach and throat as the warring elements inside him made their displeasure known.

He fought back against them though. He had a fight to win. For Lucy. For her dreams. He would see his queen's dreams of peace and prosperity come into being.

"Natsu..."

His eyes widened in shock at the soft word, and he swung his head around to where an exhausted looking Wendy was grinning triumphantly as she helped Lucy sit up, and then stand.

Natsu's entire world stopped as he stared at them in disbelief. Lucy was alive? His queen was smiling at him? His heart thumped powerfully with hope that he wasn't dreaming as Lucy's grin widened at him.

"You can do it Natsu." She murmured. Her voice was weak and tired sounding, but there was absolutely no mistaking it.

Happiness burst through Natsu with so much force he literally erupted into a joyful roar as power exploded from him and brilliant red scales began covering his body.

The sheer fact that she was there standing in front of him, made him forget all of his pain. He clutched his second wind like a lifeline, his desire to enact revenge falling to the side in a flash. It was washed away by Lucy's smile, and he surged forward.

Faster than even Acnologia could blink, Natsu had him wrapped up in a vice grip.

Just as quickly as the beat down happened before, Natsu had turned the tables with the strength unleashed by the combination of the etherious flooding his body and Lucy's encouragement.

It had been just one sentence, but it was precisely what he had needed to hear.

He couldn't feel her, he couldn't sense her. But Natsu didn't need to. Not to understand what she was telling him without having to say a word.

Natsu had the might of his dragon heritage on his side, coupled with the power of a demon. A power Acnologia's own bias would not allow him to access. It had taken a very long time for Natsu to accept who and what he was, but it was enough for him now.

Managing to twist Acnologia around, Natsu wanted nothing more than to end this fight so he could go see how his wife was doing. So he gathered all of his strength, pouring his magic into his gut as he opened his mouth.

"Fire Dragon..." He growled as he sucked in air, pulling the struggling Acnologia into the air, "King's..." His eyes danced with wicked glee at the way Acnologia paled, "ROAR!"

He released Acnologia as soon as the massive column of flame struck, and watched with satisfaction as the bastard was blasted through the various temple layers and into the air. He didn't wait to see if the other golem would regain his senses enough to counterattack though as he spread his wings and flew after him as fast as he could move.

To his mild surprise, the force of the roar pushed Acnologia far enough to slam into the underside of Tartaros.

Perfect.

"Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!" He roared as he gathered all his remaining power and plowed directly into both Acnologia and Tartaros as hard as he could.

Below him, his battered and bruised guildmates watched in shocked awe as the underside of Tartaros exploded in a massive column of fire. A column that seemed to be spreading until it burst through the other side, crumbling the cube that had been the demon's pride and joy.

Beneath the temple Zeref watched the destruction through the new skylight Natsu had created with a small smile, "Well done Natsu."

Acnologia's body dropped heavily down, back into the temple. He was unconscious, but shockingly still alive even after all of that.

Natsu's wings snapped open, catching himself on the updraft his heat had created.

Slowly he lowered himself down, his tail twitching through the air to guide himself as his bare feet finally touched the ground again.

Natsu felt exhausted, his legs feeling like jelly. The scales that had covered him until then had begun to recede.

But the job was done. Acnologia was defeated, and the symbol of the demon's power was destroyed. Natsu didn't even pay attention as Zeref snapped his wrist out and black chains crawled over acnologia's body. Silvery, blue tattoos reformed over his face and along his arms

Or rather arm.

It seemed in the explosion, while Acnologia had survived, it was not in all one piece.

Natsu for his part couldn't care. He sprinted to Lucy, who was pale and being supported by Happy.

His hands grasped at her cheeks, a desperate smile lighting his face as he held her carefully. His claws just skimmed the surface of her skin and he pressed his forehead into hers.

"You're alive! I felt the bond disappear! I thought you were gone!" Natsu babbled.

"It was a near thing brother." Wendy replied for Lucy as Lucy was far too busy hugging Natsu in relief, "The bond broke because her magic was needed to save her life."

She smiled happily, "It's a good thing it did though. It gave me enough time to stabilize her."

Natsu looked over at his sister and dragged her into the hug as well, "Thank you." He whispered as he dropped a kiss on top of Wendy's head, "Thank you."

Wendy just smiled happily as she hugged Natsu in return.

"This was not what I'd planned for our wedding night you know." Lucy mumbled after a few moments of relieved silence, "I like the you naked part, but the battle part I could've done without."

Natsu laughed, reminded that he really _did_ need a pair of pants, "Just think of it as postponed for now." He grinned, "And hey, it's all over now right? We can do that other wedding when we're healed and have _that_ wedding night!"

Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of frantically running feet. They looked up in time to see Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel leading their guildmates into the cavern. Most of them looked to be pretty torn up, but since they were there and the Tartaros demons weren't that meant they'd won.

That was more than good enough for Lucy as she smiled at them and leaned against Natsu, "Hey guys."

It was true they all looked a bloody mess, but even Lucy's weight on his shoulder made Natsu's stomach lurch.

His vision turned black around the corners and he gripped Lucy's arm. The voices of his guild mates and nest swam in and out of his ears, almost like they were speaking another language.

So much so, in the confusion, as their worried family surrounded them, he couldn't even lift a hand to point out the figure moving behind them.

Zeref, quietly disappearing with Acnologia.

He opened his mouth to warn them, but his body, tortured, exhausted, and filled with chemicals had finally had enough.

He could feel hands catching his chest as Natsu forgot why he was trying to stay awake in the first place.

Everything went fuzzy and black, unconsciousness sweeping him away.

* * *

 _ **kukuku... See, that wasn't so bad was it? Alright guys! SEE YOU IN OUR FINAL CHAPTER!**_

 _ **Now since we normally have our sneak peeks for the next chapter, if we get the count, we will show a sneak peek of our new fic, Wild Aces! In the meantime, enjoy the sneak peek from our last chapter!**_

 _ **30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!**_

 _He sat up abruptly, groaning a little when his blood rushed to his head as he did, and reached for her, "Are you alright?"_

 _"I'm fine." Lucy assured him as she gently pushed him back down onto the bed, "After you passed out Sting and Rogue transformed and carried us all back to the nest for healing. Not that it was any prettier here, but the demons that attacked the nest were flattened after they got the news that Tartaros had been destroyed."_

 _She shrugged a little, "In the end, they wound up bringing Porlyusica in to help with the healing. It's been non-stop busy ever since." She laughed a little, "I only got to avoid most of it since I was still almost as injured as you."_

 _Natsu's eyes tracked over the bandage still wrapped around her head, a quiet growl dragging from his chest. His hand reached out to trace his fingers against her forehead._


	48. Phoenix

_**FINAL CHAPTER**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 48**

 _ **Phoenix** _

_In Greek mythology, a phoenix is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn. Associated with the Sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor_

* * *

Natsu twitched a little as he slowly became aware of light intruding on his sleep. He didn't really want to wake up. He was warm and comfortable and his pillow was extra soft. Unfortunately the light in his eyes had other plans as it would not go away and leave him alone. Stupid light.

He growled a little as he tried to roll over, but the sound of a soft gasp of surprise had him pausing.

Lucy?

He blinked his eyes open blearily as he rolled back onto his back and smiled when he saw her sitting next to the bed, "Hey Luce." He murmured, "Why're you over there?"

Lucy grinned back at him, "Because I've been waiting for you to wake up." She replied, "You've been out for over a week!"

Huh?

Suddenly Natsu's eyes widened as his memories came rushing back to him, "Zeref! Acnologia!" He sat up abruptly, groaning a little when his blood rushed to his head as he did, and reached for her, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Lucy assured him as she gently pushed him back down onto the bed, "After you passed out Sting and Rogue transformed and carried us all back to the nest for healing. Not that it was any prettier here, but the demons that attacked the nest were flattened after they got the news that Tartaros had been destroyed."

She shrugged a little, "In the end, they wound up bringing Porlyusica in to help with the healing. It's been non-stop busy ever since." She laughed a little, "I only got to avoid most of it since I was still almost as injured as you."

Natsu's eyes tracked over the bandage still wrapped around her head, a quiet growl dragging from his chest. His hand reached out to trace his fingers against her forehead.

That was right.

He almost lost her.

He still felt frighteningly empty without her light brushing against his own magic. The sense of her feelings echoing like a faint murmur in the back of his head.

He also felt shockingly naked without the markings he had all of his life. Natsu hardly knew how to react to their disappearance.

But the markings hardly mattered to him. He couldn't lie and say he didn't miss being connected to Lucy. It was strange how much he relied on the bond to sense if she was in danger or if she was happy.

"Zeref and Acnologia, what happened to them?" He croaked.

Lucy took his hand and cradled it against her cheek. She took in his appearance without the markings she had come to know. His scarf, which Gray had recovered from the wreckage of Tartaros, hung loose around his neck.

"They disappeared in the confusion," Lucy whispered to Natsu. Worry flashed in her eyes as she squeezed his hand.

"Do you think we'll see them again?" Lucy asked Natsu.

He thought about it for a moment.

Zeref was a strange man. A villian no doubt, and Natsu certainly didn't trust the man who had done so much damage to not only him, but the world.

But he had tried to help in the end.

So maybe forgiveness wasn't what was needed.

Maybe just consideration, and the hope that perhaps Zeref would set one of his many wrongs - right.

Natsu tugged Lucy to him, breathing in her sweet scent and memorizing it down to his very being.

"I don't think we'll see either of them ever again," Natsu confessed.

Lucy sighed as she snuggled closer to her husband, "I hope not." She murmured, "I'm tired of all this fighting and war. Zeref is welcome to just go off and die of old age or something without ever bothering anyone again."

Natsu smiled, "Well even if he does come back things won't be the same. The dragons and humans are friends this time, and I'm definitely on the right side."

Lucy thought about that for a moment and grinned, "That's true."

Wendy walked in with Sting at that moment, "Natsu! You're awake!" She exclaimed as she rushed over and nearly tackled him into a hug, "I told you he was awake Sting!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sting drawled in amusement as he sauntered over, "You've got sharp ears and no other dragon can compare."

He sat down in the spot Lucy had so recently been sitting in and smirked, "So how're you feeling now you lazy bum?"

"Better," Natsu grinned at his siblings. He dragged his arms around his wife, unwilling to let her go.

But he was feeling more alive for each moment he was up. Natsu dragged himself up and flashed Sting a crooked grin.

"I hear it's been exciting while I've been out," Natsu smirked at Sting, who shot his brother a sulky scowl.

"Yeah, but we've been able to get the nest in order at least," Sting hummed, "We still have a lot of work to do, so hurry and get your lazy ass better so you can help."

"Alright Sting, that's enough," Igneel's voice rumbled. On his heels was his queen, brother, and Gajeel.

Natsu couldn't help but notice in his cousin's hand, he was holding onto the much smaller one of Levy. They had been dancing around one another for such a long time, Natsu hadn't thought Gajeel would ever get the nerve to be close with Levy.

It was about time. Natsu was almost disappointed he missed it.

"You've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble since the last time I saw ya, brat," Metallicana smirked at Natsu.

He stuck his tongue out at his uncle, unrepentant in his lack of manners.

"Such an attitude, he gets it from you," Metallicana grunted, which cause Igneel to drive his elbow into his brother's side.

"Although he does have a point," Igneel said thoughtfully, "Our hatchling got married and didn't even invite his parents. It almost makes me not want to give you your present."

Lucy blushed and shot Igneel a pout, "I told you that was my idea." She grumbled, causing the dragons to burst into laughter.

"You did my dear." Igneel chuckled as he joined them, shooing Sting out of the chair, "And my queen would be very angry with me if I didn't forgive you for it. Especially since we're still invited to the big wedding." He grinned wickedly, "But you can hardly blame me for teasing."

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, we didn't invite you to the entirely spontaneous wedding that ended in me getting kidnapped. So what present did you get us?"

Igneel snorted and cuffed Natsu lightly on the head, "Show some respect brat or you really won't get it."

He smirked at Natsu's whine, though it wasn't clear if he was whining over the cuff or in apology, and sat back, "As for what I got you. Your mother and I figured out a way to re-forge a modified version of the link between you and Lucy."

"Modified?" Lucy asked uncertainly, and Igneel nodded.

"There are aspects of the bond you shared that aren't bad. Namely the emotional connection. It's a very useful thing to have for a number of reasons, and with your consent we can re-forge the link so it goes both ways."

Lucy's eyes widened, "You mean I'd feel what Natsu does too?"

"In a way, yes." Grandine nodded, "You will get impressions. Gut feelings and the touch of one another's magic. We still aren't quite sure what Natsu experienced from his side of the bond."

Natsu rolled his shoulders and he looked at Lucy, "It was never enough to intrude on my own feelings. I couldn't feel Lucy's emotions necessarily, but it reflected off me. If that makes sense?"

"Then this should be very similar should you be willing," Igneel smiled.

Natsu's heart clenched happily at the idea of being connected to his mistress again like that. There would always be a part of him that would want to make her happy and loved. Even if he wasn't a slave to her commands any longer, Natsu never felt like he had been.

So the idea of being connected again was exciting. However Lucy never had felt what he did on that side of things.

He loved the feeling the bond brought him, but he would understand if she was hesitant or didn't want that. For Natsu, that was all he knew. For Lucy, that would be quite a change.

He took her hand in his.

"Luce, we don't have-"

Lucy spoke over him, her eyes lifting to Igneel's, "So long as I don't have that control over Natsu again and it isn't dangerous, I would love to."

Natsu's jaw dropped in surprise at how easily and quickly she'd agreed to it, "I... you would?" He asked hopefully, "Really?"

Lucy pulled her eyes away from Igneel to smile at him and kissed him softly, "Yes. I would." She tugged gently at his bangs, "I never liked the fact you were forced to obey if I gave an order. You know that. But this isn't that. It sounds wonderful."

Natsu grinned broadly at Lucy, hugging her tightly, "So when can we do this?" He asked Igneel eagerly, "Can it be now or does it have to wait? Is it permanent?"

Igneel burst into laughter, "Yes it's permanent unless one of you dies. It's also reversible if you change your minds later. And no, we don't have to wait. It's not a difficult spell my boy."

Privately, he suspected it would become quite popular in the coming years. It was a level of intimacy that most who were married, or serious lovers, would probably want to add. And the other benefits were obvious as well.

He held out his hands, "Just put your hands in mine."

Natsu and Lucy each dropped a hand in one of his without a moment's hesitation, and he couldn't help grinning over how eager they were to be bonded again. His hands began to glow softly as he invoked the spell.

"With the magic contained in my right hand, and the magic contained in my left," He rumbled, smirking a bit at his son's raised eyebrow over the incantation, "I bring the two together and bind them together as one."

There was a brief flash of light as he connected their hands and suddenly Lucy's eyes flew wide open.

"Oh!" She gasped in surprise as Natsu's magic connected to hers, "It's like... a warm fire. The best kind to sit by on a winter day."

Natsu sighed at the return of Lucy's sweet, airy magic washed over him. It filled him with a fullness that made him feel like he could float off in a moment.

It was almost like a spring breeze, and everything he had remembered about her magic. But this time it didn't stay in one place like before.

It flowed in and out of him like a stream, trickling and flushing in. Her magic was no longer stationary, a portion set aside to keep him alive. No, now it was alive...

And this was the type of freedom he truly loved.

His fingers curled around Lucy's hand, a grin spreading over his face.

"That's better," Natsu relaxed and leaned against Lucy's forehead, nuzzling her.

They were allowed a second together, before Sting and Gajeel chimed in together and began to draw out long, cooing noises.

"Wrap it up love birds," Gajeel smirked as he dodged the pillow Natsu hurled at him blindly.

"There's a whole world out there that needs fixin', it's about time we head out and get it fixed," Gajeel snorted.

Lucy rolled her eyes, but smiled as she crawled out of bed and held her hand out to her husband, "C'mon." She grinned at him, "I promised the world and now we can get it."

Natsu grinned as he grasped his wife's hand and pulled himself to his feet. He didn't need the world. He never had. His world was already right here. He was more than happy to follow her to wherever she wanted to go though, and he would always be at her side if she ever needed him.

After all...

 _"When light and darkness become flesh and bone, the empty body a life to own."_

 _"Your magic a spark to feed the demand, the Golem within yours to command."_

He was still her Golem.

 _ **The END.**_

 _ **FINAL NOTES FROM YOUR WRITERS**_

 _ **Mslead :**_ Hello everyone, thanks so much for sticking with us during this adventure! I know it may have been a little rough but thank you so much for sticking with us! It's been especially difficult for Kytrin who was basically running this show solo for a couple of months. So I really appreciate everyone being kind and patient while I took care of real life. Thank you everyone for coming to read our story! I recognized a lot of the names from _Parallels_ that showed up here in _Golem_! I hope you'll follow us on our next adventure: **_Wild Aces_**! It's been a real pleasure getting to entertain you guys with our story!

 _ **Kytrin:**_ Well guys, this is it! The final chapter of _Golem_! It's been quite a trip hasn't it? And I want to say thank you all for joining us on this roller coaster of a ride. Whether you followed us from _Parallels_ or came to us brand new we have appreciated having you all here to experience this story with us. I especially want to thank everyone for being patient while I learned how to juggle posting on and Tumblr. It's not as intuitive as one would think at first glance lol! Because I'm kind of exhausted after all the posting, Mslead and I are going to take a break for a while to just work on story. However, I promise you we'll be back, and I sincerely hope you guys will rejoin us for _**Wild Aces**_! Until then, do enjoy our little teaser! 3

* * *

 ** _WILD ACES_**

 _ **SUMMARY:** Natsu was as wild as the stars he was born from and the west he lived in. Beholden to none save his family, he finds himself on the trail of mystery to find what he has lost. Drawn, whether by fate or circumstance to a celestial wizard, he can't seem to stop running into her as danger looms dark on the horizon. [NALU]_

 _-::-_

 _"Actions Miss Heartfilia, that's where it counts," He grunted and rolled his shoulders forward to push himself back to his feet, "The way I see it-."_

 _"-either ya make sure the Sheriff has me hanged, or ya prove ya got some mettle," Natsu dropped his forehead on the bars above Lucy's face, "because one day, and one day soon. I'll be comin' back for those keys."_

 _Lucy lifted her chin at him, "By all means try. I have nothing to prove to you sir, and any attempt on my keys will see you exactly where you are now."  
_

 _Despite the imposing figure he cut, Lucy refused to be cowed by him. She knew her spirits cared for her, and while she could admire his tenacity and desire to free spirits in the clutches of abusive keyholders, she didn't care for his attentions.  
_

 _She had enough troubles with suitors, the last thing she wanted was to be the target of an infamous gang.  
_

 _Still, she knew she didn't imagine the flare of respect in his eyes as he looked at her. She wouldn't back down to him, and for Salamander that was probably a first.  
_

 _After all, Salamander had quite the reputation of being the cannon of the Slayers.  
_

 _Both Lucy and Salamander were pulled from their stare off by the sound of feet stomping heavily down the stairs and clanking metal.  
_

 _Lucy looked up and smiled at the company, "Hello Erza."  
_

 _"Lucy." The redhead greeted with a small smile of her own, utterly ignoring Natsu's astonished look at the sight of her breastplate and other armor, "The deputy's arrived to retrieve Salamander."_


End file.
